31 Days of Halloween
by LittleMermade
Summary: 31 One-Shots will be submitted during October, one every day. Genres, pairings and ratings vary. More information inside :)
1. Let's call him Lucky

**Hello there!**

 **Similar to the Inktober challenge going on currently I'll do the 31 days of Halloween. It is about posting one story each day. I chose to do 31 little non-connected one-shots. They will vary in length and quality depending on how much time I'll have each day. They will also vary in rating.**

 **The rating will be told before each one individually. If there is romance the pairing will be given too (I guess I'll do Romanogers, Claura, Clintasha, Pepperony, WinterWitch). Some will be related to Halloween, others will just be fall-themed.**

 **Feel free to read some and skip some! I hope I'll manage to do the challenge!**

 **October 1st: Let's call him Lucky**

 **(rated K, Claura)**

The laughter of one-and-a-half-year-old Nathaniel Pietro Barton filled the air around the farmhouse. The child was sitting in a pile of dried leaves his father had raked that morning, making a mess with it again. He stopped playing with the noisy little parts of the trees when a car pulled into the drive. Laura, who had been watching her baby boy play, now rose from the wooden bench facing the garden and walked over to the trees when her husband stopped the car. Clint closed the door to the driver's seat with a thud and stopped close to Laura and Nate. Laura smiled and put her hands on her hips: „Did you remember to pick up the necklace I took in last week?" Clint nodded and pulled a small box out of his pocket. He handed it over to his wife before crouching down to face Nate: „Hey buddy, are you down for a trip?"

Nate clapped his hands and dropped the rest of the autumn leaves he had still been holding: „Yes, yes!" Laura looked down at the two of them quizzically: „Where are you going?"

Clint picked up his son and grinned: „Of course you are coming with us!" Laura fastened the collar of her coat: „O…okay, but where are we going? Do we need anything?"

Clint took her hand and dragged her along to the car: „No, you need nothing at all!" Laura sighed and gave in. She took Nate from her husband and fixed him to his booster seat gently. When Clint was up to something he wouldn't be stopped by her objections. Afterwards, she dropped down in the passenger's seat: „Do I need to bring a snack for Nate or is this a short trip?"

Clint started the engine after scrutinizing in the direction of his son: „It won't take long, don't worry." He pulled off in the direction he had just come from since he had taken Cooper and Lila to school.

It took them about 30 minutes to arrive at a small town near the city where their absent family members attended school. Clint parked on a small parking lot next to a supermarket. Laura looked around and grinned: „What? Are you taking us grocery shopping?"

Clint let out a small laugh while removing the key: „Nice try, but no." They exited the car and Laura removed Nate who was already spreading his arms wide from his seat. Clint led the two of them past the mini market and three houses before stopping in front of a building with a colorful sign saying 'Dog Shelter' with a print of a paw next to the writing on the front wall above the door. Looking from the sign back to her husband with wide eyes Laura sighed: „We have three kids and you want to take care of a dog in addition?"

Clint's eyes were full of excitement when he was pulling her in the direction of the door: „We don't have to take one home with us. I just want you to look at how amazing these animals are and Nate to have a nice day playing with dogs."

Laura was still hesitant: „Aren't some of those dogs dangerous?" Clint stopped and looked at her: „Honey… I wouldn't have brought our kid here if I wasn't sure it's safe and also I have been here twice before."

Looking at her child for a moment Laura nodded lightly and they walked through the door. Inside a petite woman with blonde hair in a lazy bun and a friendly smile approached them: „Oh, hello Clint. It must be your wife." She stretched out one hand in Laura's direction: „Hi, I'm Monique." Laura smiled and accepted the hand: „Laura."

Monique nodded and started walking towards the backyard: „I'll show you the dogs."

When the terrace door flung open the Bartons were greeted by many different kinds of excited barking creatures. Some of the dogs were still young, puppies even – others were a little bit older and not that active anymore.

Nathaniel started fidgeting in Laura's arms: „Mommy, down…" Laura looked at the dogs once more, but then carefully put the young boy on the ground: „But hold my hand, dear, okay?" Nate nodded and grabbed her hand before walking over to one of the puppies which was running in his direction, tail swinging from side to side. His steps weren't at all steady yet, but Laura was supporting the boy while he was running his fingers through the dog's fur.

For a while, they played with some of the dogs when Clint noticed one dog which was probably struggling with a wound since it still had problems walking. It was a Labrador-crossbreed and appeared to be still young. Hesitantly Clint turned to Monique: „Who's that little guy over there? I haven't seen him here before."

Monique turned to see where he was pointing at and nodded: „Of course not… it is only the second day he is allowed in the garden. I kept him inside ever since we found him four weeks ago. He must have had an accident, probably got hit by a car. His leg is getting better but was terribly broken and wounded when they brought him in. He must be about a year old, the poor baby."

Clint nodded while mumbling: „I see… what's his name?" Monique shrugged: „I call him Toto, but he doesn't react to that name, yet."

Clint walked over to the dog which seemed to be a little surprised and anxious since it pulled back when Clint's hand touched its head. After that moment of uncertainty, however, it adjusted to the touch and buried its nose in Clint's sleeve to memorize his smell. Laura carefully walked over to them, still holding onto her son's hand. Nathaniel curiously touched dog's back and it instantly turned around to inspect the child. Nate hesitated for a moment, but then stretched out one hand in order to touch the young dog again. Slowly the dog sniffed the child's hand for a few seconds before bowing its head to allow the boy to stroke the fur. Nate smiled and ran his hand over the dog's head as gently as an 18-month-year-old could possibly do.

Clint and Laura watched them in silence for a moment before he spoke up: „I guess, it likes Nate." Laura nodded and smiled at her son: „Do you like the dog too?" Nate looked up at his mom when she addressed him: „Doggy is so soft… Can doggy come home with us?"

Laura frowned: „Do you want that? It is a lot of work…"

Nate looked at her a little sad: „Please, mommy…" Laura looked over at Clint who just shrugged: „I mean… we would have plenty of space…" Laura nodded and looked back to the dog and the boy: „Well… okay then Nathaniel. But you will have to spend all your time with your new pet!" Nate threw his hands in the air in excitement: „Yes, yes, yes! Pinky swear!"

He hugged the dog which gladly accepted the loving gesture. Clint grinned: „What will be his name then? Nate looked up at his father: „I… ahm…"

Clint crouched down to look at their new family member and smiled: „I'd say… he looks like a Lucky." Nate nodded while being all smiles. Laura rolled her eyes and couldn't help but smile too: „Let's call him Lucky then."


	2. It's been 25 years

**October 2nd: It's been 25 years**

 **(rated K+, Clintasha)**

He was looking at nothing in particular – his greyish-blue eyes gazing over the rooftops of New York City. The clouds were mixing with the smog covering everything in layers and layers of black and white. Goosebumps covered the visible skin on his neck and arms since he had no coat with him. He didn't seem to care, however, because he kept sitting still on the edge of the concrete roof leaning onto the metal handrail.

His eyes wandered down onto the streets.

A young man carrying a toddler on his shoulders accompanied by a woman holding an older child's hand;

A woman in her 40s wearing a dark grey suit carrying a Prada-purse walking fastly and checking her wristwatch way too often;

A group of young people strolling along the shop windows laughing and chatting excessively;

An old man sitting on a bench feeding birds with a piece of lemon cake he was holding in one hand;

All those people living ordinary lives, thinking about ordinary problems; What was it like to be ordinary? Would it be better? Of course, it would be easier, but he would never know anyway.

Small footsteps suddenly joined the howling of the autumn-wind and he immediately turned around relaxing immediately when he spotted the person who had joined him: „What are you doing here, Nat?"

Natasha walked over to the edge and placed two cups of coffee next to him. Carefully she wrapped a woolen blanket around his shoulders: „I've been looking for you all day. Jarvis told me you were up here." He sighed and nodded slightly. Natasha rolled her eyes and sat down on his other side: „Come one, talk to me, Clint!"

Clint started chewing on his bottom lip: „I… I walked the streets of the city all day long. The roof seemed to be the right place to be for me now."

Natasha took one mug and placed it in his hands while grabbing the other one herself: „Do you… want to tell me about it?"

Hesitantly Clint shifted back and forth almost spilling his coffee: „I guess, it's ridiculous and you wouldn't think it's worth thinking about."

Nat shrugged and took a sip from her own mug: „Even if so – you shouldn't be sitting in the cold all alone. I like keeping you company."

Clint looked her in the eye for a moment before taking a swing from the coffee and nodding: „It's been 25 years since my parents have died. Not that I'm sad about my drunk abusive father, but he took mum with him, he killed both of them in that car. Barney and I were too young. It's just – Sometimes I think about the life I might have had if we hadn't left the orphanage to join the circus or if they had never died in the first place."

Nat didn't look at him and instead faced the city in silence. When he had finished she ran one hand through her hair and quietly spoke up: „I don't think that's ridiculous at all. The day the KGB targeted my family, the day they killed both my parents and burned our house down… Sometimes I want nothing more than wipe that day out of existence."

Clint looked down briefly before looking at Nat again: „On the other hand, if we were just ordinary people I would have never met you."

Natasha furrowed her brow and looked at him again: „Am I really worth such a number of complicated years and more to come?"

The corners of Clint's mouth twitched upwards: „Nat, don't even ask that. Of course you are! I wouldn't know what to do without you."

A while they both sat in silence drinking coffee. Clint emptied his mug first and looked at it intently before returning his eyes to Nat: „You make great coffee. It's way better than the gross brew Stark makes."

Grinning Nat emptied her coffee too: „It is quite simple. I turn the regulator next to the power button down to slow."

Clint let a small laugh escape his mouth: „Easy indeed. Thanks for the tip. Now I won't have to run on terrible coffee for the rest of my life."

Natasha gazed down on the busy streets of New York once again and mumbled: „Did you mean it?"

Clint looked at her quizzically: „That you make good coffee?" Natasha smiled and gave him a pinch: „No, idiot. That you wouldn't know what to do without me."

Clint sighed and gently touched her chin to make her face him: „Nat… I really mean it. I need you in all that madness that is our life. Sometimes I feel like you are the only one who understands me, I feel like you belong with me in some way… thank you anyway – for the great coffee." He grinned and Natasha pinched him once again.

Slowly Natasha rose from the edge of the rooftop: „Come on… it's getting dark and even colder." Clint grabbed the mugs and stood up as well: „Right…" Nat already started walking towards the door when Clint spoke up again: „Wait… one more thing."

Natasha stopped and turned around about to answer him when his lips met hers. Too surprised to react at first she just stood there but returned the kiss after a few moments. Clint slowly parted from her and smiled: „Sorry for that…"

Natasha grinned slightly: „Didn't know, you could actually kiss, Barton."

Clint started grinning again too: „What made you think I couldn't?"

Smirking Nat took the blanket from him: „You as a smartass should know everything already."

Clint held onto the blanket and pulled her closer with it: „Is that so? In that case…"

He kissed her once again while wrapping the blanket around the both of them.


	3. For days like today

**October 3rd: For days like today**

 **(Romanogers, Claura, rated K; obviously not MCU - canon xD)**

The pipy ringing of the doorbell echoed through the farmhouse briefly, just long enough for the residents to notice their visitors had arrived. Laura leaned closer to the door, abandoning the stove for a second, called in the direction of the stairs: „Honey! Could you answer the door?"

Clint's voice could be heard a second later accompanied by quick footsteps taking two stairs at a time: „Yes! On my way!" As he reached the door he unlocked the chain and opened it. He smiled as he spotted the visitors standing on the porch: „Well, see who finally made it!"

Natasha grinned: „We are not the ones who decided it was a good idea to live in the middle of nowhere…"

Clint rolled his eyes, but couldn't help grinning too: „Yeah… got it." He then turned to Steve who was holding a little bundle of blankets and jackets: „Hi Steve… is he asleep?"

Steve shook his head slightly tucking up the fabric close to the little face: „No, he's way too excited to see his uncle and aunty again." Clint stepped aside to let them enter: „Ha! I knew he liked us much more than Tony and Pepper…"

Steve smirked while entering: „Of course, Clint…" Natasha removed her jacket first when the door was closed before freeing her baby from all the layers and taking the boy from Steve's arms to allow her husband to doff his own jacket and hat. Clint was leading them into the kitchen and dining area when they were ready where they were greeted by Laura stirring the contents of a pot with a wooden spoon. Three-year-old Nathaniel was sitting on a blanket playing with a bunch of lego when they entered.

Laura turned around and smiled at her three visitors: „Food is almost ready. I assume you are hungry." Natasha nodded and walked over to greet Laura at the stove.

Natasha looked around and asked: „Where are Lila and Cooper?"

Laura looked up to meet her eyes: „They are at a friend's house to go trick or treating." She then smiled and carefully touched little James' hand with her finger: „Hey, little man… you're growing up so fast." James curiously closed his fingers around Laura's pointer and looked at the hands.

Natasha looked down at her son and nodded: „Yes… I can't believe he is already six months old. That's half a year!"

Laura smiled while cautiously removing her finger and turning to the stove again: „I know what you mean. It feels like yesterday Nate has been born and about Cooper and Lila… they are pupils already. I'm afraid when I blink they will leave me for college." Natasha grinned: „Oh, Laura. It will still need a few years to go by until that will happen."

Laura sighed and nodded: „Right… But now we should eat. I think the sauce is just right." Natasha nodded and walked back over to the table where Steve and Clint were chatting about how it was going. Natasha placed James in the baby-chair before sitting down next to it by the table. Clint was now rising from his seat and helped Laura carry the plates, the pot with the additional sauce and the baking dish with the chicken and vegetables. Nathaniel was pausing his lego project and sat down by the table as well.

While they brought the food over to the table Steve walked over to the suitcase they brought and pulled out a can of baby food. He turned to Laura and asked if he could heat it up a little. Laura gave him a small pot and quickly Steve made the mush warm for his son. He poured it into a bowl afterward and placed it next to Natasha: „Sorry, little guy. It will be just a little longer and you can eat the same food as mom and dad."

He then sat back down and they started eating the meal Laura had prepared. Natasha was feeding James the mash who seemed to enjoy it as much as the others enjoyed the chicken.

Later Steve and Nat were doing the dishes while Clint and Laura played with the boys. When they finished Laura rose from the floor and addressed her guests: „We have a present for you…" Clint added before either Steve or Nat could say something: „You, Laura. It's from you, you made it."

Laura rolled her eyes: „Okay then… I have something for you."

Natasha followed Laura who was walking over into the living room with her eyes: „We said no presents, remember?" Laura came back into the room with a piece of fabric: „It is something I made out of boredom. I want you to have it for James." She held the bundle out for Natasha to take it.

The other woman hesitated before accepting it and unfolding it. Nat held the blanket out in front of her to look at it. It was a handmade patchwork-piece with the symbols of all the Avengers embroidered. The backside was lined with fleece which made it suitable for autumn and winter.

Laura watched as Steve and Nat were admiring the blanket: „Happy Halloween, I guess… Since he is too young for costumes…"

Nat smiled and started folding the blanket again: „It's wonderful, Laura! James will love it, it's perfect."

Laura looked away a little shy: „Thank you… it's for the cold days, you know. Days like today."


	4. Have you ever tried Pumpkin Latte?

**October 4th: Have you ever tried Pumpkin Latte?**

 **(if you want platonic Romanogers, rated K)**

When leaving the apple-store the two of them could barely pull it together and burst out in instant laughter simultaneously when out of sight. Steve and Natasha had developed the habit to pay the shopping center they had been undercover a visit every now and then. They would buy pointless little things like junk jewelry and hats and decoration. In addition, they would visit the apple-store each and every time. Oddly enough Aaron was still working there and was recognizing them every single time. However, he didn't recognize they were actually Captain America and the Black Widow but seemingly was thinking they were a boring couple from the suburbs on a shopping trip every now and then.

Steve was impressed with how Natasha was keeping a perfect trophy wife expression while raving about their wedding in California and how they decided to spend their honeymoon in Hawaii and not New Jersey.

The first time they went back to the shopping center was kind of coincidental since they were jogging and Natasha's phone didn't seem to work when they took a break and the closest store was the one in the center. That time Steve barely managed to avoid laughing about the stories Nat was starting to tell the poor guy when he recognized her. He just kept nodding and looking down when he was grinning too widely.

From that day it became a habit to check on that enthusiastic employee every now and then, which leads us back to that day in October they had no training schedule set and decided to go. Steve was getting better at enacting his marriage with Natasha and making up stories. They would tease each other and finish each other's sentences like a really cute couple would do.

Slowly the two Avengers recovered and Natasha grinned: „Cute story about my birthday that actually never happened, Rogers." Steve shrugged: „What about the story about us painting the house?"

Natasha grinned even wider: „It was a cool story, okay?"

Steve ran a hand through his hair trying to get serious again, but he couldn't stop grinning: „We should actually stop. Poor guy! He actually thinks all of this is true."

Natasha chuckled: „No! That is the funny thing about it! But it's getting boring. Maybe we should make up drama next time we come here. We are too perfect, you know?"

Moving his head left to right slowly Steve started laughing again: „What makes you think we wouldn't be?"

Natasha gave him a pinch: „Come on! Nobody is! Not Tony and Pepper, not Thor and Jane, so we can't be either."

Steve fixed the sleeve of his jacket and grinned: „Alright then… next time we will apparently have a marital crisis."

Pleased with that Natasha started walking toward the escalator: „Fine… can we grab a snack now? I'm starving!" In agreement, Steve followed her: „Sure thing."

As they were going down to the lower level Natasha looked around for a place to eat and turned to Steve: „How about just something from Starbucks? I don't want to wait at a restaurant." Steve nodded: „Why not. If you say so."

As they were approaching the coffee shop Natasha was looking up at the menu above the counter: „How cliché… it's autumn so they are selling Pumpkin Spiced Latte."

Steve shrugged and eyed the menu as well: „I've never had one of those."

Natasha immediately looked back at him: „Really? How can't you? Seriously, even for you… Those are everywhere in autumn, you can't get past it."

Steve looked at her innocently: „Well… seems like I have been just fine without that in my life."

Starting to grin again Nat dragged him along to the small line in front of the desk: „Yes, up 'till now… I'm going to change that right now."

Steve rolled his eyes and followed her: „Okay… if you insist."

They both ordered Pumpkin Latte and sandwiches and sat down at one of the tables as their order was ready. Eagerly Natasha was placing her order down and looked at Steve. He chuckled: „Really? You are making a whopper out of it."

Shrugging Natasha leaned back in the chair: „I guess, I'm just bored! Taste it already!"

Steve grinned and grabbed his paper-cup. He took a sip before placing the coffee on the table too.

Waiting a few seconds Natasha leaned forward again: „Well? Do you like it?"

Steve nodded: „Yes, it's nice."

Natasha stared at him: „It's nice? That sounds like a thing to say when your girlfriend asks you about the dress she is trying on and it's really boring and not at all stunning, but you really don't care."

Steve let out a small laugh: „Okay then… It tastes really good. It's something different after all, but Nat… It is still a cup of coffee, nothing more."

Natasha now took her own cup and started drinking the latte macchiato: „Yeah… maybe you are right."

Steve took a bite from his sandwich before examining the paper-cup: „It's so cute. She drew flowers next to my name. What's on yours?"

Natasha tilted her cup slightly so she could read it better. Next to the capitalized 'NAT' the lady had drawn a small butterfly. The assassin was holding it out into Steve's direction so he could see. Steve looked at her cup for a moment before chuckling: „Matching cups…"

Natasha started laughing at his statement: „Now that is a story about how cute we are to tell Aaron."

Steve joined into her laughter: „Bulletproof… because this thing actually happened."


	5. The ghosts of the past

**October 5th: The ghosts of the past**

 **(Romanogers, rated T, some of the dialogue is Russian, but I am not aware of the language, so we'll go with English)**

She was running and running but the hallway seemed to be endless. Left and right small pale hands were reaching for her through bars in the darkness. Screams and voices flooded the space and rang in her ears. She looked back to check on what was chasing her when she stumbled and fell. As quick as possible she tried to stand up again but she fell back again in shock when she looked down at her own hands – small, barely a child's, pale and covered in blood.

Now her chaser had caught up with her and picked her up brusquely. The voice was a woman's, deep and husky from smoking, Russian: „Natalia! Don't you dare run away again!" Natasha struggled and tried to break free: „No! Leave me alone!"

The woman snarled: „I'll make you suffer for that!" She dragged Natasha along in the direction they came from. The hands weren't there anymore, everything was just dark. After a short period of time they reached a door and a room illuminated by artificial light sources started to appear before her eyes. The room was huge and the walls were covered in mirrors. A bunch of little girls was standing next to a similar woman as the one, who still had a firm grip on Nat's wrist. She dragged her past those other girls and stopped. Natasha looked up and stumbled back as she saw herself in the mirror. A little girl, probably 8 years old. Her long red locks were badly tied up into a bun. She was extremely pale what made her emerald eyes stand out. That was her, all those years ago in the Red Room. Well, it wasn't really her. She was Natasha now, that weedy girl had been Natalia, she was Natalia again. That was the ballet room where they had to practice dancing every day.

Immediately after backing away the woman slapped Natalia: „Behave!"

Natalia gritted her teeth and stopped fidgeting. The woman now loosened her grip on the child's wrist and turned to face the other girls: „Now you will see what happens when you try to run…" She turned back to Natalia and looked at her feet: „Remove your shoes!"

She hesitated but then quickly bent down to open the shoelaces tied around her feet and legs since she was wearing ballet-shoes. She stripped them from her little feet and put them next to her, standing up again.

The woman looked at Natalia's bare feet and nodded. She started walking past the group of girls again and stopped next to the door. A fire was dying in the chimney. The flames were all gone, but the coal was still glowing red and orange. The supervisor took the small shovel that was sitting next to the fireplace and loaded it with a bunch of fierce coal carrying it a few steps before dropping it on the old and dusty carpet.

Natalia's eyes widened in horror as she could guess the plan they had in mind for her punishment. The woman repeated the action before looking at Natalia. The little girl swallowed hard and kept standing next to her shoes.

The woman coughed slightly and drew a gun: „Come over here, Natalia."

Natalia eyed the ground for a second before looking at the gun. She started walking toward the pile of hot coal slowly while the woman leveled the gun at her.

Natalia stopped in front of it and looked down trying not to tremble in fear. The woman started speaking once again: „You will dance for one musical act. You will not scream or make any noise or I will shoot you. We don't need girls who can't face pain. We need girls who keep cold and silent. Start!"

The other woman put the needle of the gramophone on the record and orchestral music started playing. As the first bangs of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake Act 4, No. 29 echoed through the hall little Natalia's bare feet touched the burning remains of the fire. The excruciating pain shot through her body and she gritted her teeth as she tried to perform the dance they had taught her for that act of swan lake – the finale. It was cruel how they chose to play Odette's demise while her own was about to happen. It was deadly silent in the room, only the music was playing, as she danced and her feet were wounded and open and the pain was getting worse with every step she took. Her blood was mixing with the black coals and the fire and the dirty old carpet. Six and a half minutes. She didn't know how much of that timespan she had managed to dance already. Tears started running down her cheeks, her eyes swelling and reddening but she didn't dare even whimper.

Suddenly everything was getting blurry and dark again and when she opened her eyes she found herself in bed being shaken awake. She was Natasha again. Immediately she brushed the tears away with her hands and stared at the person next to her, shaking her and talking to her. Her eyes were still wide and fear hadn't left them yet.

Steve was pulling her closer to him and closed his arms around her now that she was awake: „It's okay, Nat… It was only a dream. You are safe here."

Still shaking she grabbed the blanket and covered herself and Steve with it: „R…right… thank you for waking me up."

Steve was running a hand through her hair slowly: „I will always be there to wake you up… just like you are there for me every time."

They sat there in silence for a few minutes and Natasha slowly calmed down again. After a while she looked away from the digital clock on the nightstand reading the gleaming numbers 02:23 and up to meet his eyes in the faint moonlight: „Did I hurt you?"

Steve shook his head slightly: „No… you were just mumbling and kicking and trembling."

Natasha exhaled audibly: „Thank God… I'm sorry anyway, for waking you."

Steve placed a kiss on her forehead: „Don't apologize. It's alright. Do you want to talk about it?"

Natasha leaned against him: „No… it's okay. Let's just go back to sleep."


	6. I hope I'll never find out

**October 6th: I hope I'll never find out.**

 **(rated K+, Romanogers)**

 **A/N: I tried so hard not to do those, but this time it is necessary. I wrote down 35 ideas before starting this and I felt like doing none of those today. I've been at lectures all day long and it's 8.55 PM as I'm starting to do this, now decided on doing the first thing that comes to my mind. I love the idea of the Soulmate-AU where your soulmates last words are on your body, as seen at DaughterOfPoseidon333's place! Go there and give her some love! :) I like the last words better than the first because it is much more tragic and kind of bittersweet. I modified her idea a little, however**.

 _Natasha was staring at the words as they appeared on her wrist. It was the evening of her 13th birthday. She had waited all day long and by that point, she was almost sure that she would be the one with no words, but all of a sudden 'Run and find that last stone!' was getting visible in neat black letters. She let herself sink back into the mattress after sitting up once again, holding her hand closer to the light source, a single light bulb for four beds. Why did it always have to be her? She had thought that she of all people would be the one to die first, but apparently, it was her soulmate. What a dumb word 'soulmate'. She didn't need that, she didn't have that. However, the little writing on her wrist told her otherwise. Only half of the people on this world had words. It were the last words they would ever hear from their soulmate before they would be left alone by them. She knew only a few girls in the Red Room who even had words. It was the case more likely for assassins to die first, probably that was the reason. Those who had had horrible things like 'Go to hell!' or 'Kill me already!'. She could deal with that. What she had, on the other hand, made absolutely no sense. Why would she look for a stone? And why would someone think it was so important that they would tell her with their last breath? Even words she had seen on many normal people's hands like 'I love you' or 'We will meet again' would be better. They would at least not bother her that much._

 _She would look at her wrist many, many times after that evening and the older she became the more she was afraid she would hear them._

The movie was over and Steve grabbed the remote to switch off the TV when a smaller hand reached it first and did it in his place. He smiled as Natasha made herself comfortable in his arms again. She looked up at him and asked: „How did you like Gladiator?"

Steve shrugged and started caressing her arm with his fingers: „It was nice… a little bit cliché probably."

Natasha smiled: „Yes, true… but it is still entertaining."

When he touched the words on her skin she pulled back out of a reflex. Steve sighed and stopped: „Natasha… don't think about it so much."

She gritted her teeth: „It bothers me… and it also bothers me that you never seem to think about it." He slightly moved so she had to face him: „Why? It doesn't change anything. You can't even know if those words on your wrist are mine. Nobody ever knows until it happens."

Trying to avoid his eyes for a moment longer Natasha gave in and looked at him again: „I know… but that is so stupid and it is something you could say. It must have something to do with all that shit going on with Loki and that stone in his scepter and everything. I am afraid, okay?"

Steve ran his thumb from her hairline down over her cheek to her chin: „I am too… it kind of starts making sense, but we never know what will happen. Our job is kind of dangerous and it is fascinating that we made it out alive every time yet."

Chewing on her bottom lip Natasha took his hand away with hers and held onto it: „I know… but now this feels like it is coming closer and I can't lose you. I can't live while knowing you are dead because I ran away to save some goddamn stone."

Steve hesitated: „According to those words… and assuming they are mine, it wouldn't change anything. If you didn't listen to me then, I'd die anyways and you would probably too. So… If the moment comes you have to listen to me and run."

Natasha took a deep breath: „You're right…" She paused before starting to speak again: „It's not fair… I would rather not know than this." ´

Steve tried a smile: „I am curious… did you ever think someone could be your soulmate before?"

Natasha managed to smile along: „Well… since not long ago the words have made absolutely no sense they could have been anyone's. Some time ago I was thinking how they could be Clint's since he has none. But the day I met Laura I scratched that. Her words are obviously his…"

Steve nodded: „Yeah… not many people have 'Don't start dating that dodgy neighbor' on their wrist, I assume."

Natasha smirked in amusement for a moment: „Poor Laura, though. She must have been in shock when she read them first as a kid."

Steve grinned: „Most likely… but she knew her soulmate had a sense of humor."

Natasha nodded slightly: „Did you ever think someone could be your soulmate?"

Steve now looked down on her wrist again: „Since I am not the one with the words, I couldn't even guess, but… when I met Peggy I hoped it could be her."

Natasha hesitated: „You don't have to tell me, but… what are her words?"

Ocean blue clashed with emerald green as Steve looked up again and met her eyes: „Tell the children I love them."

Natasha understood and just nodded: „I… I'm sorry."

Steve smiled and gave her a peck: „No! I'm with you now. I don't need that."

Natasha smiled before kissing him again and hugging him: „Just stay with me a little longer, Rogers. Okay?"

Steve closed his arms around her: „I hope so."


	7. About angels and demons

**October 7th: About angels and demons**

 **(Sam & Wanda friendship, rated K)**

Sam fixed the small paper lampions in the shape and color of jack-o'-lanterns to the timber above the kitchen-unit. He stepped back and looked at his achievement before turning around: „Do you like it?"

Wanda was sitting on the couch facing in his direction holding a cup of tea. She nodded and smiled: „Those are cute."

Satisfied Sam walked over and sat next to her: „Now it finally looks like Halloween in here a little. If that was up to Steve and Nat we would never have any kind of decoration."

Wanda chuckled: „You are an adult, you don't have to ask them for permission, you know."

Sam grinned: „That's not what I was saying… They don't seem like holiday people, I guess."

Wanda shrugged: „I don't really consider Halloween a holiday." She placed the cup on the small table next to her.

Sam looked at her confused: „Why? It's about eating candy and dressing up funny. There is no better holiday than Halloween."

Wanda grinned: „I take my earlier statement of you being an adult back."

Sam crossed his arms in front of his chest: „Didn't you like it a lot as a kid?"

Leaning back Wanda looked at the lanterns: „No… we don't have your American Halloween in Sokovia."

Sam immediately started staring at her: „You don't? Do you have nothing in Sokovia?"

Wanda couldn't help but laugh at his reaction: „Don't worry, Sam. We still have Easter and Christmas. But holidays in Sokovia are more on the religious side. We would go to church and only Christmas meant presents… at least for the time we still had our parents."

Sam looked down: „Sorry Wanda…"

Wanda smiled: „No, it's alright… it was just the way it was. I wasn't missing anything."

Curious Sam looked up to face her again: „Did you have a holiday instead of Halloween?"

Wanda nodded: „Yes… but you would find it boring."

Sam shook his head: „I want to hear about it…"

Picking up her cup again Wanda thought about it before she started: „Since it's the day before All-Saints it is about getting rid of evil spirits. We would have to wake up really early and go to church for the morning prayer. It ended when dawn came. One of us would bring a candle with the blessed fire home. During the day all neighbors would meet up and cook together and eat together. Us children played together with the few toys we had, but we didn't really need them."

She paused, but Sam said nothing. He just listened to her. Wanda nipped at her tea before continuing: „In the evening the young men would meet at the town hall and dress up as demons. They would wear animal fur and masks like… carved in wood and painted, most red for the devil. They would carry cowbells and like those bells which are on sleighs and the altar in a church. They would leave the town hall when it's getting dark and walk into every house, ringing the bells loudly to scare the real demons and evil away so they wouldn't linger around on All-Saints. They would scare us when we were really little, but Pietro joined them himself when he was nine. It's nothing special at all. But I like thinking about it."

Sam smiled as she finished: „I never knew that… I also never thought about how other countries celebrated Halloween. I knew that Mexico had the Day of the Dead because Rhodey likes that thing, but otherwise I had no clue. Do you miss Sokovia?"

Wanda shrugged: „Kind of… I mean, it is my home and it will always be. But I'm with you guys now. Although America is loud and busy and different – I like it here too. Also… ever since there is a war going on all the time in Sokovia which can't be stopped…"

Sam nodded: „I see…"

Wanda started smiling again: „Now tell me about little Sam's Halloweens as a kid."

Sam grinned: „Well most of the time little Sam had a really lazy costume like a ghost or a pirate because he didn't care. When I was seven, however, I was into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles like… crazy. My mom was getting so annoyed with me talking about nothing else like ever she made me a costume for that year's Halloween. She started in August, so she could finish in time. It was so cool. It was a turtle-costume and I was going to be Leonardo of course. They didn't admit it then, but I knew the other boys were jealous. When I got older however it was more about the Halloween-parties. It was about the girls in short skirts dressing up as sexy cop or something like that. I stopped wearing costumes when I was sixteen and focused on the ladies, that's the story really. Not as cool as yours, unfortunately."

Wanda grinned: „Well… not everyone can have a cool story." She rose from the couch and placed the cup in the dishwasher: „Come on, Sam."

He looked at her confused: „Where are we going?"

She looked at the jack-o'-lanterns again before returning her eyes to him: „Shopping. We need more decoration. Those are so lonely, it's almost sad."

Sam grinned: „Wouldn't it be too funny to not only decorate the kitchen and living room, but also the training room and… Steve's apartment and… Natasha's apartment. They would absolutely hate it! It would be literally the best thing."

Wanda chuckled: „Okay… I'll help you! But when Nat tries to kill someone for the mess they made, it was your idea and I didn't know anything about it."

Sam stood up enthusiastically and grabbed his wallet: „Deal!"

 **I know nothing about Halloween-rites in other countries, but since Sokovia is not real I felt free to invite one. I hope some people are enjoying this challenge so far! :)**


	8. Cat ears and hot chocolate

**October 8th: Cat ears and hot chocolate**

 **(WinterWitch, rated K+)**

Wanda was holding onto Bucky's hand in order not to lose him in the stream of people crowding the streets on that evening in October. Gently he was pulling her closer to him so she could hear him when he started talking: „Do we really need to do this? I hate shopping…" Wanda grinned: „I know… but you have no choice. For Halloween we need costumes."

Bucky rolled his eyes and sighed: „But…" Wanda knew what he was going to say and interrupted: „No, you can't just stick with your mask and suit – it's not fair!"

They needed to stop in front of a home-decor-shop because a group of people was pushing them in the wrong direction. Wanda eyed the shop-windows briefly and shook her head: „It's October… why's there already Christmas lights and stockings on display?"

Bucky shrugged: „Probably it sells… people are strange, you know." Wanda chuckled: „And we are perfectly normal, right?"

Bucky grinned: „No… I never suggested that. It would also be boring." He started walking again when it seemed to be safe, still holding onto Wanda's hand with his human hand. After a few minutes had passed Wanda suddenly stopped and pointed at a shop: „There! I found it!"

Bucky eyed the colorful front of the building, a clown and a princess placed in the window decorated with balloons and confetti: „Okay… let's get over with this."

Wanda was now the one dragging him along as they entered the shop. It was not too big, but one could say the space available was used to its fullest. The shelves were stuffed with all kinds of dresses, shirts, onesies and accessories. The shop assistant was sitting by the register reading a book. He didn't seem to be interested to help them in any way so Wanda and Bucky started looking around by themselves. Bucky jokingly grabbed a fake mustache and showed it to her: „That would fit you!" Wanda grinned and pulled out a curly blonde with resembling Marilyn Monroe's locks from the shelf behind her: „I'd love to see you wearing this."

Bucky grinned: „In your dreams…"

Wanda laughed before looking at him mischievously: „I have an idea… let's put together three costumes for each other…. no rules!" Bucky grinned and placed a kiss on the back of her hand: „Oh, Wanda… of course, but know that you just signed your own death warrant."

Wanda grinned: „I don't care… as long as I can give you hell too…"

Quickly the two of them searched every corner of the shop and carried around hats and wigs, dresses and other clothing. With quite a small hill of things on their arms, they met up at the one changing cubicle in the back of the shop after a while. It was separated from the rest of the shop by a single curtain.  
Bucky grinned and looked at Wanda: „Ladies first."

Wanda rolled her eyes an sighed as she placed the clothes she had assembled for him on a small table and stepped into the cabin: „Okay… do your worst."  
Bucky grabbed a few items from his pile and handed them to her. She closed the curtain and after a minute or so she stepped out of the changing space, arms crossed and obviously not too happy: „What is that supposed to be?" She was wearing a way too short dress for public places. The skirt was checkered in white and blue and the top was red and revealing. The wig on her head was blonde and two bows held the two pigtails, one on each side of the head, together.  
Bucky had a hard time holding back his laughter: „It… is supposed to be a Bavarian girl."  
Wanda held onto the pigtails and grinned: „Very funny…"

She walked back into the cabin and asked for the next outfit. Bucky handed her only a few things before the curtain closed again. After a few minutes Wanda spoke up, the curtain still closed: „Bucky… I need help…" He walked inside without removing the curtain and laughed.

Wanda sighed: „It is not funny! Close the damn top already." He closed the zipper without commenting before pulling the curtain open and stepping back.  
She was wearing a rose crop-top with a short white skirt. On the back of it was a cattail the fitting accessory, cat-ears, on her head.  
Bucky couldn't stop grinning. Wanda touched the ears for a second before looking at him: „That's terrible. Who would like to buy that?"  
Bucky shrugged and handed her the last outfit: „Try this… I think you might actually like it."  
Wanda took the clothes he handed her and closed the curtain: „At least it's more fabric than this thing."

She changed an opened the curtain after a few minutes actually smiling: „You're right… I like it." She was wearing a black dress fitting tightly to the hips but flowing to the knees. The red gloves fit with the red choker and the band around her waist. A witch's hat completed the outfit.  
Bucky nodded: „Yes! You should totally buy it."  
Wanda turned around to look into the mirror: „If you like it too, it can't be so wrong… can it?"

Bucky looked her up and down again: „No… this thing is you."  
Wanda smiled before closing the curtain: „Alright… so it's your turn."

She changed into her regular clothes before opening the curtain and grabbing her pile. She handed Bucky his first outfit. Hesitantly he closed the curtain.  
After a while, he started talking: „No kidding? I'm not gonna show you!"  
Wanda grinned and opened the curtain by herself. Bucky was wearing a long red dress and wearing the Marilyn-Monroe-wig from earlier. Wanda burst out in laughter the moment she saw him: „What a lovely girl you are!"  
Bucky tried to close the curtain again immediately: „Stop it! Give me the next one already!"  
Wanda handed him the clothes still laughing.  
When the curtain opened again Bucky sighed. He was wearing cheaply ripped jeans and a red top. The pirate-head was plastic and the eyepatch looked really fake: „Why are you doing this to me?"  
Wanda grinned: „Talk like a pirate! Or I don't get the feeling!"  
Bucky took off the eyepatch: „Give me the last one so we can leave…"  
Wanda gave him the rest of the things she was holding: „I really like the last one… I guess it fits you…" She handed him the stuff and the curtain closed.

Bucky opened it unassertive: „It is kind of cool… but… does it fit me?" He was wearing the outfit of the mad hatter, similar to Johnny Depp's in the movies, but still a little less steampunk. Wanda smiled as she saw him: „YES! It's so cool! The hat fits you so well. Please go with it."  
Bucky looked into the mirror once more before slowly nodding and changing. They paid for the costumes and walked out of the shop.

Wanda grinned as she looked at the shopping bags: „Admit that it was fun already."  
Bucky started grinning: „Yeah… seeing you struggle with that cat tail was worth it."  
Wanda rolled her eyes: „Come on… let's keep going."

Bucky took the bag she was holding from her and smiled: „Let's grab some coffee… it's getting cold in the evening."  
Wanda linked arms with him: „Good idea… but I'd like hot chocolate better."


	9. Two ways

**October 9th: Two ways**

 **(Rated K)**

It was already getting dark already on that October 31st. Most of the children who were still walking the streets were on their way home with their bags full of candy. At the edge of Central Park Steve Rogers was sitting on a bench watching the people. The children started mixing with young people on their way to the bars and clubs of Manhattan. The streetlamps switched on as the last rest of the daylight disappeared completely. Steve quickly glanced at his clock before standing up again. By now Tony should have left for some party with Pepper and the others were up to whatever they wanted to do. He wasn't a fan of Halloween-parties for adults so he had decided to leave the tower so they couldn't drag him along eventually.

The moment he started walking a young girl ran past him and stumbled. She fell down and started crying while trying to recollect the candy she had gotten from her trick-or-treating-tour. She was wearing a Captain-America-costume. Steve immediately caught up with her and knelt down to help her. Startled because of the bigger hands next to her little ones the girl stopped and looked at the stranger with wide eyes. Steve grabbed the last hand of candy and put it back into her bag. Now he was checking on the girl: „Are you okay?"  
The girl stared at him in disbelieve. She even stopped crying: „You… you… you are Captain America."

Steve smiled and helped the girl stand up: „Yes… but without that suit, I am only Steve. What's your name?"  
She ran her hands over her cheeks to brush away the tears: „A… Annica."  
Steve nodded: „Nice to meet you, Annica. How old are you?"  
Annica nervously looked down on her candy: „Seven…"

Steve crouched down to see the girl's face: „You are a little young to walk at night by yourself. Where are your companions?"  
Annica's face reddened a little as she started speaking: „I went for candy with Danny and Mira and her mommy… and we met Luca and he was so mean to me, so I ran away."  
Steve waited a little before answering: „What did he say?"  
Annica's eyes watered again: „He… he told me I couldn't be Captain America because I'm a girl and girls can't be superheroes."

Steve put a hand on her shoulder: „Don't believe that. You should not even listen when people tell you that. My friend Natasha is the toughest person I know. She is the Black Widow and she is a superhero."  
Annica now faced him: „But… I always want to cry when people are mean…"  
Steve smiled again: „Always remember one thing, Annica. There are two ways in life. You can go the easy way and believe what they tell you. You can stay silent and not talk about it again. You can stop doing the things, that are important to you because it is easy. If you chose the hard way, however, you will be criticized and people will tell you to move. But you won't move because it is important. So don't care about that kid telling you, you can't be a hero. You can be anything you want if you work for it."

Annica started smiling: „No one ever told me that I was right in not giving in… mommy said it's better to not talk back too much."  
Steve nodded: „I am sure your mom is a wonderful person, but giving up is not always the right thing to do. Sometimes it can be, but if you really believe in something, it is not the right thing to give up."  
Tightening the grip on her bag Annica started fidgeting: „I… I don't know where Mira and her mommy are."  
Steve smiled and took her by the hand: „Where do you live? I can walk you back to your mommy."  
Annica gave him her bracelet. Steve took it from her and read the lettering. It was the girl's name and her address. Steve stood up without letting go of the child's hand: „Okay. It is not far away. We will be there in 15 minutes."  
Annica was looking relieved and waited for him to start walking. Steve smiled and took off in the direction of a collection of huge apartment buildings. He adjusted his pace to Annica's.  
Soon they reached the complex and Steve looked at the bracelet again to be sure about the number. He led Annica over to one of the buildings and rang the bell with the kid's last name on it. Moments later a disbanded woman's voice answered through the intercom: „Hello? Who's there?"  
Steve cleared his throat before speaking: „Hello, ma'am. I am taking your daughter home. Say hello to your mom, Annica."  
Annica spoke up as he told her to: „Hello, mommy!"  
The woman exhaled audibly: „Oh thank God." She immediately hit the button to unlock the door and Steve opened it. He walked up the stairs with the girl, but the woman was already running down to meet them on the way. She clasped her daughter in her arms immediately: „Honey… I was so worried. Mira's mom called me that you ran away and she lost you on the way."

Annica tried to get away: „Mommy… not in front of Captain America…"  
The woman slowly let go of her daughter and looked at the man accompanying her confused: „Oh my… what a coincidence."  
Steve smiled and greeted her: „You have a wonderful daughter." He also handed her the bracelet: „This is a really good idea. Everyone should do it."

The woman nodded and smiled: „Thank you for helping Annica… I am sorry for the bother."  
Steve smiled too: „She is not a bother." He crouched down and faced Annica again: „I have to go now, kid… remember what I told you. You are a great person."  
Annica nodded and hugged him briefly: „Thank you so much…"  
Annica's mother looked Steve in the eye as he rose again: „I am sorry to detain you, but can I take a photo of you and her? –For her friends."  
Steve nodded and posed for the photo with the girl. After they said goodbye again Steve left the building and started walking to the tower. He smiled to himself while thinking about what had just happened. Halloween was not so bad after all.


	10. You were all dead

**About one-third of this project is mastered. Please don't be upset if the stories do not always match the fall- or Halloween-theme, I just can't do that all of the time. I need to write what comes to my mind.**

 **October 10th: You were all dead**

 **(rated T, Steve and Wanda friendship)**

She woke up screaming in the middle of the night. She was drenched in sweat as she quickly got rid of her covers and jumped out of bed. Still terrified she walked into the bathroom and washed her face with cold water. When she looked into the mirror her eyes were still glowing red and she was shaking a little.

She walked back into her bedroom but knew she wouldn't be able to sleep again. It was already 4 AM and she decided to wait for the dawn in the kitchen area. Putting on a pair of slippers she left her room as silently as possible and took the stairs to the main area of the Avengers Facility. When she walked into the kitchen and turned on the lights she was a little surprised to see Steve sitting in a chair by the windows.  
He immediately looked up and seemed to be surprised too: „Wanda… why are you up already?"

Wanda shrugged and tried not to show how devastated she still was: „I… wanted something to drink."  
Steve frowned and nodded slightly: „Okay… you don't look all too well. Is everything okay?"

The young woman tried a smile, but looked down when she failed: „Yes…"  
Steve sighed and stood up. He walked over to where she was standing: „Wanda… come on. Talk to me."  
Wanda took in a shaky breath before looking him in the eye: „Just… a bad dream. I just… it seems to be so real when I dream."  
Steve led her over to the couch: „Is that because of your powers?"  
Nodding Wanda sat down: „I guess so. Usually, it is not so bad. Usually, it is about Pietro or Sokovia, but tonight it was… it… Did we ever talk about the things Tony saw?"  
Steve looked down and nodded: „Yes… but… you made him see that. By that time you wanted to scare him so badly that he makes a mistake and ruins himself. It wasn't real."  
Wanda looked down again: „I couldn't make him see anything. I activated his fears and a possible future matching those appeared. It… it's not a projection. I didn't create it, it is real, but not in this timeline."  
Steve blinked a few times before answering: „So… if we had failed in Sokovia. This would have been the outcome?"  
Wanda hesitated: „Probably… just, if something went wrong or differently, that would have been the reality."  
Understanding why she was so afraid he settled back: „And that is why you are so afraid of your dream – because you think it could be more than that. That it could be a vision like those other visions."

Wanda wrapped her arms around her legs: „Yes… and I don't know what the right thing to prevent it is."  
Steve looked at her while talking: „You are not responsible. Don't do that to yourself."  
Wanda's eyes began to water as she answered: „I can't unsee it… When Tony had that vision, I was not involved. He was and for me, it was like standing a few feet away from the scene. I still don't know what it was that he has seen over there… on that spot where everyone was dead or so I thought. Now… now I believe that he did talk to one of you… of them. And that's what scared him so much." She looked up again to face Steve as she finished.

Steve saw a single tear running down her cheek: „I'm sorry… I can't do anything to help you, I'm afraid. I can just assure you that we are all alive and I will do everything I can to not let that change."  
Wanda bit her lip before she started talking again in a low voice: „You were all dead… well, not everyone was dead. I… I was alive. I was walking the street and the buildings were… demolished, there were only ruins. It was dark and the fog was everywhere. I saw Sam on top of the rubble. His wings were only in pieces and he was… he was impaled on…", she took a shaky breath once again, „…on a broken scaffold. I looked away and continued walking when I saw… I saw your shield. Half of it was buried in the rubble and I… was looking for you. And I had hope until… only a gloved hand was sticking out from under the rubble and what was even worse… Na… Natasha was lying on the middle of the street on her stomach. She died with her hand was outstretched in your direction, but she couldn't ever reach it."  
Wanda swallowed and started crying. Carefully Steve pulled her into his arms and after a while, she continued: „I cried and I ran and I reached… a corner and I saw Clint… he was leaned against the wall where he must have collapsed with gunshot wounds visible on his torso. I clutched down to check on him when he opened his eyes. He looked at me and quietly said ‚Wanda… hide' and I tried covering the wounds to stop the bleeding, but… he was falling unconscious again and he… he stopped breathing in front of my eyes and the blood was everywhere. It covered my hands and my suit, it was splashed on the wall and formed puddles on the floor. It drenched every inch of Clint's clothes and his hair… I can't. When I screamed I suddenly was back in my bed."  
Steve carefully tugged back her hair and gave her a tissue: „Calm down… It will be only a dream. Just like the visions before that one, it won't happen. We will be okay."  
It took a while for Wanda to recover, but when she finally stopped sobbing she looked up to meet Steve's eye again: „Thank you… I'm so sorry. It's so stupid."  
Steve shook his head a little: „No… don't try to fix things like this alone. If you need someone to talk, you can always come to me."  
Wanda nodded and stayed silent watching the sun peak out behind the hills promising a new day.


	11. The circus

**Okay… so I've been over at a friend's for hours and now I really have to study because I got exams tomorrow (It's too late now anyway, but I want to at least try xD). So let's call today's post a lame excuse. I'm sorry!**

 **October 11th: The circus**

 **(rated K+)**

It was a day in late October and although it was sunny, it was nippy outside. Children were playing at the small park and their parents were sitting on the benches nearby chatting. Further away from the scene sat a lonely figure on a wooden bench under a tree. Clint had decided to go outside and walk without really going anywhere. It was one of those days and he couldn't ignore it. Everything in the Tower made it even worse.

His bow and arrows leaning in the corner of his bedroom was the first thing he didn't want to see. He didn't want to see his clothes and he couldn't stand the photos hanging on the walls. Nothing that belonged to him was of interest to him today.

In that park, however, it was getting worse again. Two young boys were fighting each other with wooden sticks as if it were a swordfight. Just like him when he was their age – except he had a real sword and he had to fight for his food and shelter. It was his mentor in the circus who was teaching him how to fight and how to practice archery. If he failed too many times he was going to sleep without dinner. If it was a bad day for his teacher he was going to bed outside the trailers, in the field without a blanket.  
A cold shiver ran down Clint's back as he was thinking about it. He ran a hand through his hair and spotted two little girls sitting in the grass and playing with plastic horses singing nursery rhymes. Sometimes the leading lady of the animal show used to sing while washing the horses. He used to sneak in and listen to her.

The rattling of the leaves in the trees brought him back. The branches were swinging slightly like the wooden trapeze, except they weren't moved by the wind but by the performers dancing high above at the ceiling of the tent. It almost sounded like the leaves were applauding for the branches.

A drunk homeless man wove by and the stench of cigarettes mixed with cheap whiskey filled the air. It smelled just like the ringmaster who hit the boys for stealing his liquor and bread although he had all consumed it himself. It smelled like their own tent when Barney was getting older and started drinking too much.

Shaking his head and trying to get rid of the memory somehow Clint rose from the bench. He needed to get away from here. He didn't want to continue wandering around cluelessly and aimlessly but there was no use in going back home. It would catch up with him again eventually and when there were walls everywhere he couldn't walk away from it again.


	12. Pumpkin soup

**October 12th: Pumpkin soup**

 **(Clintasha, rated K+)**

The kitchen of the Avengers Tower had been occupied for hours now by two people. Natasha was standing at the counter and cut orange chunks in smaller pieces before putting them into the huge pot. Clint was sitting on the floor with a huge knife cutting the pumpkins they had bought in half and removing everything that wasn't edible. The pieces that were left were gathered next to him and every now and then he gave them to Natasha. Right when he gave her another hand of orange pieces she sighed: „The pot is full… how many do we have left?"

Clint looked down onto the floor briefly: „Still two…"  
Natasha put the immersion blender next to the stove: „Okay then… down on your knees again, Barton… we will find something to do with the leftover."  
Clint started grinning and sat back down: „Ay ay, boss."

Nat put the cover on the pot and walked over to the fridge looking for things to use for the leftover pumpkins. She sighed and closed it again before searching the drawers as well. She suddenly stopped in the middle of her action and nodded: „Clint… I have a really bad idea."

Clint stopped cutting for a moment and looked up. She was standing in front of the cabinet where Tony was keeping the alcohol and he started shaking his head no: „Hell no… We can't do it. Steve won't like that… and every time we start drinking here in the tower it kind of escalates."  
She turned her head in his direction and grinned from ear to ear: „That's why it would be fun… come on! Before we throw two whole pumpkins away…"  
Clint started cutting again: „Okay… alright! Let's do it."

Nat quickly filled another pot with water and started heating it. She removed the cover from the other pot and put it on the new one while grabbing the immersion blender. She started mushing the now soft pumpkin pieces and slowly added some cream, salt and cinnamon. She also looked for grated nutmeg and found a little glass in the bottom drawer. Then she switched off the hotplate with the soup  
Clint finished cutting the two pumpkins and grabbed all the pieces with both of his arms staining his shirt with the vegetables. Natasha laughed when she saw him: „Enjoying your new look?"  
Clint rolled his eyes: „Remove the cover already!"  
Natasha smirked: „What do I get in return?"  
Clint stepped closer to her: „How about… me where I am right now, not putting the pumpkins on your clothes too?"  
Still grinning Nat removed the cover from the pot and let him pour the pumpkin pieces into the now boiling water. When she put the cover on the pot again she turned around only to find herself in his arms: „Hey! You promised not to!"  
Clint smirked and stepped back again: „I never promised to not do it anyway."  
Nat grabbed his hands with her hands and put them on his cheeks afterward, smearing the pulp everywhere. He grinned and pulled her closer spreading the pulp on her back.  
Shuddering because it was cold she made their foreheads connect: „Stop it!"  
Clint grinned before kissing her: „Is that better?"  
Returning the kiss Nat smiled: „A little… But now…", she pushed him away and walked past him. Picking up a fork she removed the cover again and pierced one of the small pumpkin pieces. Nodding she turned around: „Okay… bring me a colander."

Clint washed his hands briefly before opening a drawer and handed her the colander. Nat took it away from him and put it in the sink. She started pouring the content of the pot into it and put the pot back on the hotplate afterward. She turned the heat down and smiled: „Now give me the vodka." Clint walked over to the cabinet and grabbed two bottles of vodka. He walked back to the stove and put them on the kitchen island. Nat smeared the pumpkin pulp into a dishtowel before grabbing the first bottle and pouring the alcohol into the pot, followed by the second one.  
Clint looked over her shoulder and carefully wrapped his hands around her waist. Natasha grinned: „Idiot! I have to be careful that it's getting not too hot. Be of use instead and give me the brown sugar."  
Sighing Clint let go of her again and searched for the sugar. He found it in one of the drawers and put it on the kitchen island as well. Natasha slowly poured some of it into the vodka and stirred. When it was all melted she quickly removed the pot from the hotplate and put the pumpkins from the colander into the vodka as well. Nat turned to Clint again and crossed her arms in front of her chest: „You can mush if you want."  
Clint smirked: „Not afraid that I ruin it, Romanoff?"  
Nat put the immersion blender in his hand and shrugged: „I can still kill you if you do."  
Nodding Clint put the tip into the pot: „Okay… sounds like a deal." He started mushing until it was liquid again: „Yep... it looks good. I bet it tastes good when it's cold." He put the immersion blender into the sink again and turned to Nat: „We still have 30 minutes left until the others will come up here for dinner…"  
Nat ran a hand through his hair: „Is that a challenge?"  
Clint ran his hand down her back: „Kind of…"  
She closed the gap between them and whispered: „Accepted…"


	13. Are you superstitious?

**October 13th: Are you superstitious?**

 **(rated K+)**

Bruce was reading something on his StarkPad before checking the time. He looked up to meet Tony's eye: „Isn't Thor coming back for dinner tonight?"  
Tony looked up from his laptop: „Hmm? … Oh, no. He is 'Going to the moving pictures with Lady Jane.'" Tony was disguising his voice when he talked to sound more like Thor. Bruce grinned before looking down again: „Okay, okay. But it is already 8. Why is Natasha taking so long from the Chinese restaurant around to corner back to here? It's been like close to an hour…"  
Tony shrugged and grinned: „I can locate her phone if you want…"  
Bruce sighed: „No… that is rude, Tony!"  
Right before Tony could answer the elevator made a single beeping sound and the doors opened. In her left hand Nat was holding the bag with their food and in her right hand, she was holding something she wasn't supposed to take home. A small black kitten was holding onto Natasha's sweatshirt as if its life would depend on it. Its claws weren't too long and it didn't reach her skin.

Tony was staring at her: „No… are you fucking kidding me?"  
Natasha was walking over to the table and put the bag on the surface: „What's wrong, Stark? Do I need to ask for permission? Fill in forms?" The kitten miaued when she bowed down a little to not drop the bag.  
Rising from his chair Tony pointed on the pet: „It's from the street! You don't know if it is sick or something!"  
Natasha smirked: „Calm down already… it's just hungry and lonely. I can take it to my apartment and you won't have to be near it."  
Steve couldn't help but grin, however, he remained in his seat at the table. Bruce looked up to watch Tony pace around the kitchen: „It's alright… I can check on the kitten later."  
Running his fingers through his hair Tony stopped by the window: „She carried this thing around with our food next to it!"  
Natasha laughed: „The food is in boxes and the boxes are in a bag, okay?"

Right in that moment Clint entered the room and looked around confused: „What's going on?"  
Nat turned around now holding the kitten in both hands: „I found this poor little guy in front of the china-restaurant… I couldn't leave it behind."  
Clint smiled and walked over to Nat. He started ruffling the cat's fur: „Cute! I'll hang out at your apartment a lot from now."  
Tony was just standing there shaking his head: „Why is everyone so happy about this germ factory in MY kitchen?"

Clint started grinning: „What Stark? You are the one walking in here with oil and chemicals on your hands all the time."  
Falling back down on his chair Tony spoke up again: „Yes… but those things are safe. They are coming from my lab."  
Relieving Nat of the kitten and holding it close to him Clint smirked: „Are you superstitious or something? Don't you want black cats in the Tower on Friday the 13th?"  
Tony glanced at Clint: „Don't be ridiculous, Barton!"

Natasha contained her laughter: „Of all the people in the world you are the last I expected to be superstitious."  
Tony tore his hair: „No! I told you it's just because that cat is dirty!"

Clint looked down on the kitten: „Doesn't look so bad to me… Be careful, by the way... if you are waving your hands around like that you might drop the salt and that might be bad luck today too."  
Now Steve and Bruce started giggling too.  
Natasha walked over to the table and was about to unpack the food, but stopped before touching the bag: „Oh… sorry Tony. Should I wash my hands to not contaminate your food?"  
Tony sighed: „I know you are being sarcastic as fuck, Romanoff… but actually YES! That would be highly requested."  
Nat grinned and walked back over to Clint taking back the kitten from him: „Okay then… I'll take you down to my bedroom and you can sleep and drink milk. Tomorrow I'll buy some cat food for you." She looked up at the others: „I'll be back in a few… start without me."  
Quickly Nat walked back to the elevator and she disappeared. Steve grinned: „Who knew she's sensible on the inside…"  
Clint smiled and washed his hands before Tony would freak out: „It is a really cute cat after all…"  
Bruce started unpacking the food in Natasha's place and put everyone's food on the table in front of their seats: „Seriously Tony… you need to calm down."  
Tony sat in silence pouting: „Please, Bruce… I need at least one ally."  
Bruce grinned: „Let's not talk about it again…"  
Clint muttered: „At least not today…"


	14. Like Romeo and Juliet once before

**A/N This one is happening in an AU where Steve and Nat are secretly a couple during Civil War. The title is from the lyrics of a song from this year's Eurovision Song Contest. I guess it was Estonia's Song called 'Verona'! And... ham... kind of contains a spoiler for Star Wars 7 (but who hasn't seen it?!).**

 **Also: Please let me know in the reviews if you want to request anything because I might be running out of ideas soon xD**

 **October 14th: Like Romeo and Juliet once before**

 **(Romanogers, AU, rated T)**

She was staring at the ticking clock on the nightstand illuminated by the light of the full moon. Quietly she sat up in bed and glanced over at the person next to her. Steve was facing the door so to her only his back was visible. Hesitating for a moment longer Natasha whispered: "Are you awake?"

A few moments later his response followed. Only a single word: "Yes."

Natasha started chewing on her bottom lip and held onto the blanket to cover her bare breasts: "We need to talk about it, you know."

Sighing Steve turned around: "No... We might wake the others when we have a discussion. I don't want anyone to know you are here."

They were staying in a small house about half an hour drive away from New York - Sam, Wanda, Bucky and Steve. The place was far enough to not be found immediately but close enough to still know what was going on with the Sokovia Accords. Steve had managed to let Nat know where they were without Tony finding out about it.

Nat looked down: "I don't want a discussion and I don't want one of us yelling at the other. That's not how it's supposed to be."

Steve now sat up too: "Natasha... Please... don't make this more complicated than it already is. If you are about to tell me anything other than you have decided to stay with us - I don't want to hear about it."

Running a hand through her hair Nat faced him again: "I just want to tell you... that... I can't let you get hurt."

Steve was about to say something in response but the words didn't come out. Instead, he carefully caressed her cheek before finally finding the right words: "I want the same... I don't want to fight you. I want to be with you."

Natasha shook her head: "No... you don't understand. If I stay with you I can no longer protect you. I need to stand with Stark to know about his plans and to stop him from doing something he does out of desperation."

Steve removed his hand again: "I see why you would think that, but it's not necessary. If you are with me we can find a solution together."

Falling back into the pillows again Natasha took a deep breath: "This... thing escalated way too much to find a solution. I know there will be a fight and there will be blood."

Steve kept sitting there and looked out the window: "Maybe you are right... but that makes me think even less that it is a good idea for you to side with him."

Natasha stared at the ceiling: "Every minute I spend without you I miss you, but I also am afraid that... that one of your people might get hurt, might... die. That you might die. I need to know what's going on on the other side."

Returning his eyes to her Steve sighed: "I can't change your mind, I see... but that kind of makes us enemies."

Natasha slightly tilted her head to look at him: "It only makes you and Tony kind of enemies, but I will never be your foe."

Steve smiled a small smile: "I know, you might leave this place right now if I say that, but... I love you."

Hesitantly Natasha closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again she sat up and kissed him whispering: "I know."

Steve returned the kiss and started grinning: "Han Solo is greeting."

Natasha chuckled lightly: "He's been with Leia until he died after all..."

Steve pulled her closer and kissed her again: "True."

Natasha ran a hand through his hair and down his back admiring every movement of his muscles as he spread kisses from her neck down to her breasts and stomach. They kissed passionately when he reached her neck again and Natasha grinned: "Kind of like Romeo and Juliet... from two different sides but desperate for each other anyway."

Steve started grinning along: "And this shabby cottage near New York is our tower in Verona. You should write a drama now..."

Containing her laughter Natasha rested her head against his torso: "I can already see it... damn would it sell..."

Steve placed a kiss on her hairline: "There is one difference, though. There will always be a good ending to our story."

Natasha nodded and listened to his heartbeat: "Always... because we will be there for each other."

Steve sighed when he caught a glance at the clock: "It's 2 AM already... we can't fall asleep or the others might wake up before us."

Natasha pressed her lips together feeling an inner frustration rise: "I don't want to leave already..."

Steve stopped running his fingers through her hair: "I don't want you to leave either, but if it is your decision to go back you need to go now..."

Natasha swallowed hard and sat up again. Steve sat up too and looked her in the eye: "Stay safe, okay?"

Natasha nodded and kissed him briefly: "Same thing for you." She let the covers fall away when she rose from the bed and started getting dressed again picking up her clothes from the floor. Steve watched her in silence.

When she finished she looked over her shoulder to look at him once again and whispered a 'Goodnight' before leaving the cottage as she entered it - through the window.


	15. Are you messing with me?

**October 15th: Are you messing with me?**

 **(Romanogers, AU, rated K+)**

It was exactly 9.15 when Steve came back from his morning run. Natasha had been asleep when he had started and he didn't want to wake her then because she hadn't been feeling so great the evening before. When he entered the kitchen he poured himself a glass of water before checking on his girlfriend in the bedroom. Surprised to find the bed empty Steve called her name and received a 'Yes' in a low voice. Following the sound he found her sitting on the bathroom floor next to the toilet.

Natasha was looking up at him when he entered the room: "Don't come any closer... I will infect you as well."

Steve shook his head and knelt down: "Don't worry... I never get sick. But you don't look too good. It's probably better if you'd see the doctor."

Natasha rolled her eyes: "It's just the flue or something... I will be alright."

Sighing Steve answered: "Sure it is... but if you go see a doctor he will give you the right medicine and you are saving yourself from being that toilet's best friend for the following days."

Natasha was about to answer when she felt she had to throw up again and quickly returned to the toilet. Steve took a tissue from the box on a shelf before kneeling back down and rubbing her back while handing it to her: "I will drive you..."

Natasha took the tissue from him and looked down: "You won't stop suggesting it to me, will you?"

Steve stood up again and held out his hand to help her up: "Absolutely not."

Thinking about it for a little while Natasha took his hand and fixed her hair while looking into the mirror: "Okay... let's get this over with then."

It was a short drive with one stop to the nearest doctor and they sat down in the waiting room after Natasha had checked in. There were only about six other people there, most of them elderly and probably just there for a check. Steve stayed behind when Nat's name was called. He was getting impatient, however, when she didn't return for about 30 minutes and stood up to ask the lady at the check-in. The lady called the doctor from her desk and was saying 'Okay' every now and then. She hung up and turned to Steve again after about a minute: "There were no other signs for the flue than nausea so they are doing a blood test. It's okay if you join them back there." She was pointing at the direction of a single door leading out of the waiting room.

Steve nodded and thanked her before walking out the door. It didn't take him long to find the room where Natasha was sitting on the couch. She smiled when he entered: "Thank God... it's so boring in here. Why did you drag me along?"

Steve grinned: "Don't be such a pussy, Romanoff. It won't take so long from now on."

Steve and Nat were sitting and talking for about ten more minutes before the doctor entered the room. He was shaking Steve's hand briefly before taking a seat too: "Miss Romanoff... the tests have shown a surprising result and I would like to do an ultrasound to be sure."

Natasha looked at him confused: "Why? Is there something wrong with me? Is there a tumor or something because I had my appendix removed already..."

The doctor was shaking his head smiling: "No, no! Actually, there is a possibility of good news. You might be pregnant."

Looking at each other for a moment Steve and Nat were in silence before Natasha was turning to face the doctor again: "You must be wrong... you don't even have to do an ultrasound. I can't have children... ever."

The doctor looked through his papers again before responding: "Why do you assume that?"

Natasha took Steve's hand before answering: "I have been sterilized years ago."

The doctor nodded in sympathy: "Let me do the ultrasound anyway then... if that is the case there might be an infection causing it."

Natasha nodded and rose from the couch: "Okay..." Steve followed her to the divan bed and sat down in the chair opposite from the doctor. The young man was preparing Nat for the ultrasound and started afterward. He fixed his eyes to the monitor while slowly moving the instrument over Nat's stomach. He looked at the image confused and removed the instrument, checking on it for a second before putting it back on. He cleared his throat before speaking up again: "I... There must have been an error at the procedure of sterilization. I am sure you are pregnant, Miss Romanoff."

Natasha shook her head: "No... what's wrong with you? Are you messing with me? It's not funny, okay?"

The doctor hesitantly shook his head and pointed to the monitor and gestured while talking: "No, listen to me. There is the head and there is the little body. This is a leg, it's outstretched, the other one is tugged in, and those are the little hands."

Natasha blinked at the monitor before looking at Steve: "You... you see it too?" Steve nodded in disbelieve: "Yeah... I do."

The doctor looked at the two of them: "I can't be sure, but probably it is possible because you are both genetically enhanced."

Natasha was just nodding not able to respond to that. The doctor started smiling again: "Well... anyway. Congratulations! If everything goes according to plan you will be parents in about 8 months."

Steve slowly repeated: "Eight months..."

The doctor nodded: "Yes... we can talk about everything else tomorrow if you'd prefer that."

Natasha just nodded and stood up, removing the gel from her stomach with a towel.

The doctor led them out of the treatment room from where they walked to the car in silence. When they both sat there Steve was looking over at Nat: "Nat... is... is everything alright."

She took a deep breath before quietly starting to talk: "I... I don't know... I thought I'd leave this building with a package of medicine, but what I got instead is..."

Steve finished her sentence: "unexpected?"

Natasha nodded: "Yeah... that's exactly the word. I don't know about this. I never thought about children since I thought it was not to discuss anyway. I don't know if I want this in my life."

Steve smiled: "Well... We managed things way more complicated than this..."

Natasha started smiling too when he did: "Let's drive back home... maybe I will be really happy tomorrow. But right now, I still cannot believe this"


	16. Not according to plan

**October 16th: Not according to plan**

 **(Clintasha-ish friendship, rated K+)**

The narrow streets of London were dark and dusty at night. Where the two assassins were running not even streetlamps had been put because there wasn't enough space. Not a soul was outside in the area and if someone saw them they would most likely close the door on them. Natasha started to fall behind but Clint quickly grabbed her hand and dragged her along: „Just a few more corners and we'll be back…"

Nat gritted her teeth and started running again. Her other hand was pressed against her left thigh as she was trying to stop the bleeding. Their predators weren't in sight anymore, but they needed to make sure they were far enough gone to not be found that night.

Suddenly the heel on Natasha's right shoe broke off and she stumbled. Clint immediately stopped and supported her: „Are you okay?"  
Nat gasped for air as they stopped: „I… my shoe…"  
Clint looked down briefly and nodded: „Okay. Hold onto me!" He carefully picked her up in his arms bridal style and started running again, this time, of course, a little slower.  
The two of them finally made it to a cottage at the far end of the street. The house was only one-storied and parts of the old wooden walls were starting to fall away. Looking back again Clint carried Nat inside and put her down on the twin bed standing in the corner of the room. The wall separating the bedroom from the living room had been torn away as it seemed but they didn't really care. It was a hiding spot of S.H.I.E.L.D., nothing more.  
Clint straightened again and started walking towards the kitchen: „I'll get the first-aid box. I'll be right back." Nat only nodded slightly and tried not to let her hand pressing on the wound relax. That had not been going according to plan at all. They should have gotten information from a businessman who probably had connections to underground organizations. Instead, someone already must have known of their plans and they suddenly were attacked while attending a gala. One bullet had immediately grazed Natasha's leg while the others missed the two of them. They weren't ready for a fight like that in a public space so the assassins decided to run.

Clint came back from the kitchen with a box and started looking through the items. He pulled out a wound dressing and bandages. He looked at Natasha: „Okay… let go of your leg and hold up your dress for me."  
Natasha delivered a faint grin: „So that's what you were aiming for after all…"  
Clint smirked and instantly pressed the wound dressing against the leg as she loosened her grip: „Oh no… you psyched me." He put one bandage which was still rolled up on top of the wound dressing before wrapping two other ones tightly around the construction.  
When he was done he sat down next to Natasha: „It should do the trick until Coulson will pick us up tomorrow."  
Nat nodded and looked him over: „Let me bandage your wounds too."  
Clint smiled and shook his head: „No need… it's just cuts."  
Natasha knew those cuts were deeper than he was admitting. He had protected her from an attacker with a knife since she had already been wounded. She sighed and looked him in the eye: „remove your jacket…"  
Clint hesitated: „Why?"  
Nat crossed her arms in front of her chest: „I want to see it, Clint."  
He looked down before gritting his teeth and removing the black jacket. The blood from the cuts on his arms and chest had soaked the white shirt in crimson. Natasha now carefully moved closer to him and started undoing the buttons: „I knew it…"  
Clint watched her before speaking up again: „It's not that bad."

Nat carefully examined the cuts after the white piece of clothing was removed: „Yes, you're right, but it can still become infected and that would be a big deal."  
Clint slowly lifted the first-aid box onto the bed and let her do her thing: „Fine… then fix me, doc."

Nat started grinning slightly and started cleaning the cuts with disinfectant spray. Clint tried not to wince but the deeper ones really smarted. When she had finished Natasha bandaged the worse cuts and closed the box when she was pleased with the result.  
Then she slowly lay back again and closed her eyes: „Come on… if they had been following us, they would have found us already. It's safe for both of us to sleep."  
With a doubtful look on his face, Clint rose from the bed, putting the first-aid box aside: „Maybe I should stay awake a little longer to be sure."  
Natasha opened her eyes again and exhaled audibly: „No, silly… you look hell of tired too. Come on already."  
Thinking about it for a moment longer Clint eventually gave in and joined his partner in battle in the twin bed: „Good night then, Nat."  
Natasha smiled before closing her eyes again: „Good night."


	17. Keep breathing

**Thanks for the suggestion in the reviews. I'm not ready yet to try it out since I am beyond terrible at writing either Thor or Loki. But maybe I'll be able to meet the challenge on another day.**

 **October 17th: Keep breathing**

 **(mentions of Claura, rated K+)**

It was cold but his body felt burning hot. The wind played with his hair and tugged at his clothes – at least where they weren't covered in blood. It was getting dark already and his hopes that someone would find him in that hell decreased with the minutes passing by just like the temperature which was dropping at an alarming state. He forced himself not to close his eyes and somehow it worked out for a while. He almost had to be thankful for the overthrown car jamming his leg, pinning it down onto the ground. Every now and then he felt an intense shot of pain circulating through his whole body with his blood, seemingly attached to it. Parts of the broken windows of said car were most likely ripping his flesh open. The blood loss would be immense if it weren't for the other parts of the car slowing his circulation down.

Once again he tried getting a signal over his earpiece. With shaky hands he slighly sat up and meddled with the device. There was only static over static over static. Letting himself fall to the ground again he swallowed hard and sighed: „Guys… it's Clint. I can't find any kind of signal again. If you still hear me, please come for me. I'm pinned down next to that collapsed building. It's hard to see me, because the pieces of rubble are supporting each other over me like a tent. It won't hold so long, I'm afraid…"

He pressed his lips together in frustration and stopped talking. It was not of use after all. If he couldn't hear them they couldn't hear him either. Carefully he pulled the earpiece away and dropped it next to him.

Tiredly Clint looked up at the rubble lingering over him menacingly. The wound spanning from his ribcage to his belly button was bleeding heavier again, but he didn't have the strength to press his hand on it again. Slowly his eyes were fluttering close and this time he couldn't help it.  
The sound of the cracking in the rubble and the wind grew distant, the sirens blaring that had been distant before disappeared shortly after with the rest of the sound. He wasn't lieing in the middle of a catastrophe anymore. His surroundings changed into a wonderful green space. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. There were a few benches lined up in front of him and people were sitting there waiting in anticipation smiling up at him. Slowly Clint looked around. He was standing by a table and everything was decorated with flowers. He looked down and gasped in confusion as he was no longer wounded and dirty. He was wearing a suit with a tie in a soft lilac. Suddenly string players started doing a wedding march and he looked up instantly. Laura appeared at the corridor with her father. She wasn't just beautiful, she was beauty. Her long white dress was flowing and the soft lavender bowtie around her waist was the same shade as the bands and flowers in her hair.

This was their wedding… but it had happened years ago. He wasn't supposed to be here. This wasn't good at all.

Laura was stopping next to him, a soft smile on her face. The smell of flowers intensified since her wedding bouquet consisted of lilac, lavender and soft pink roses. All shades of purple. When the priest started talking she whispered: „Are you alright?" Clint only nodded and closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them he was back in the rubble. He was dizzy and barely resisted the urge to immediately close his eyes again. He couldn't even feel the pain anymore. The noices hadn't come back since the… dream, memory. Everything was deadly silent. Everything was numb.

In the back of his head Clint could hear Natasha's voice: „Idiot! Don't die on me now. We are on our ways. We have been searching for you for hours and there isn't much space left. The only thing you need to do is stay with me, okay?"

His eyes snapped back open when the voice disappeared again. He stared up at the debris still leaning against each other optically not moving but he knew they were cracking and shaking. The archer managed to stay awake for about five minutes before his eyes closed again automatically. He saw Cooper and Lila sitting at the table at home. Cooper was looking at him with a sad expression: „When will you be coming home again? You promised it would only take you a few more days."

Clint didn't know what to say and looked over at his daughter who was standing up from her chair and walking over to him: „We miss you, daddy… We need you here. Please don't go away."  
Immediately Clint started shaking his head and pulled his daughter into an embrace: „No… I won't leave you, deary."  
Lila was hugging him too and started talking in a low voice again: „But then you need to wake up, daddy…"

The voices of his children grew distant again, replaced by another familiar voice calling out for him. Slowly he was opening his eyes once more. Everything was in a blur, but once again he heard a clear and not so far away ‚Clint'. It was Steve's voice. They found him.  
Clint took a shaky breath and as loud as he could he answered: „Steve! I'm here!"  
After that he could only remember other voices joining Steve's and hands all around him and he felt the pain start again when the heavy car was lifted off his leg. He now knew he would be okay – He had to be okay again, for his family.


	18. Before they fell (part 1)

**Today I'm taking y'all on a little excursion to the 'Next Avengers - Heroes of Tomorrow'- cartoon. If you are familiar with that, the story doesn't take place in that timeline. It is an AU, where James is slightly older than when Ultron attacks in the movie. In this AU Ultron hasn't yet attacked. Since the cartoon is a kids-movie it doesn't portray a lot of violence, but this was kind of missing for me. I don't know what else to write today other than that so I hope you enjoy nevertheless. It is going to be quite long so I'm splitting it into two parts for two days (October 18th and 19th), I hope that is okay.**

 **October 18th: Before they fell (part 1)**

 **(Rated T)**

Like every day in the environment, they lived in, it was sunny and bright. The palm trees were swaying in the soft wind and the birds were singing. On days like that one, however, James would prefer the rain a lot over the sun. He remembered the smell of the air after the rain and sometimes would also try to relive the feeling of the droplets hitting his skin. He missed the rain. Once he had asked Tony why it never rained where they lived now. He was just saying that it was common for the area.

James sighed as he lifted his eyes to the stones once again. They had the names of all the fallen Avengers on them and James now looked at the two erected for his parents. Still looking at them he whispered: "Hey mum... hey dad... It's so boring here. I don't know what's happening. I don't know why I had to leave you along with the others. Tony never tells us anything. But I'm not a child anymore. I will get out of here someday..." He looked down and fell back into silence again.

He had left his bungalow quietly without telling the others since they weren't allowed to leave when it was getting dark. But he was 14 now. He wasn't a kid anymore and he found that rule to be stupid and unnecessary.

After a while, he heard footsteps near him and without thinking about it he hid behind one of the stones. It must be Tony, he was the only one walking around at night and he wouldn't like a lecture about obeying the rules that day.

As James was carefully watching from behind the stone he could see that it was indeed Tony. His expression, however, was extremely sad as he approached the stones and James had never seen him like that before. Tony always looked happy and friendly when he was around the kids. But now, there was clearly something that bothered him a lot. Tony just kept standing there for about five minutes before fishing a small remote out of his pocket and pressing a button.

James jumped a little when everything on that spot started moving suddenly and a hole in the ground was visible. Tony started walking down and the machinery started to close the path again. Without hesitating, James followed him down. He needed to ask him what this was all about. How could he have kept this a secret all those years?

Staying behind a little bit in order not to be spotted immediately James followed the man around the tunnel-like system underground. He stopped when he found himself in a huge room which was almost circular. In the middle, a set of instruments and tables was located and that was where Tony sat down. He picked up a thing that looked like a head, but not really human, but rather mechanical.

James was too curious to keep standing there by now and he braced up. He started walking toward the table and started talking in a low voice to not startle his mentor: "Tony... it's James..." Tony immediately turned around and stared at the boy. James nervously scratched the back of his head: "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have followed you, but I saw you and I needed to know what was going on..."

Tony sighed and gestured next to him: "Since you are here already... sit down please."

James did as he said and sat down on the chair next to Tony's.

Looking around again before focusing on Tony again James said: "What is this thing here?"

Tony put the head aside and looked at James: "Well... it is my lab. I'm making stuff here for the case that... that something bad could happen."

James looked at him confused: "So there is a possibility of Ultron finding us here? Why did you lie to us? You told us we were safe 100 %."

Tony nodded: "I know... I'm sorry. But think about your younger siblings. You and Torunn are old enough to know about bad things, but Pym and Azari... I don't think they are ready for... for the truth."

James slowly looked at the robot head: "What truth?"

Tony hesitated, but eventually leaned back and started explaining: "This place is... not real. It's an artificial environment I created to make it impossible for Ultron to find us via GPS. That's why nothing ever changes. And what you are looking at currently is the only thing remaining from my old friend Vision... the ghost from the bedtime-story I used to tell y'all."

James blinked a few times before looking at Tony again: "Your friend... So... you were the heroes from the bedtime-story? You were with mom and dad?"

Tony nodded slightly: "Yes... James. I was the knight, Iron Man."

James ran his fingers through his hair: "You kept all that from us all those years?! Why are you telling me now?"

Tony sighed: "I did everything to protect you kids, I promised after all."


	19. Before they fell (part 2)

**This is part two of two - a continuation of chapter 18**

 **October 19th: Before they fell (part 2)**

James sat in silence for a few minutes. Suddenly he spoke up again, but much calmer than before: "Can you... tell me about that day. The day you took us away, I mean."

Tony looked down: "I don't know... I haven't ever talked about that day. I'm thinking about it all the time, however."

James watched him closely: "You said it yourself... I am old enough now, I'll be 15 in just about a month."

Tony sighed and looked at James again: "You are right after all... but what I'm telling you is not at all light stuff. If you want me to stop, say it immediately."

James nodded slowly and waited for him to continue.

Tony looked at Vision's head once again before turning to James again: "James... I know, when you come to those stones outside the lab you... in the back of your head... still hope for your parents to be out there, alive. I'm sorry, but I know they are dead. I saw it with my own eyes." He paused and took a deep breath: "We were fighting the robots Ultron controlled... I was there with Clint... the archer... and we were getting rid of the minions and suddenly I heard it over the coms... Steve... your father was screaming at something. I remember all of his words, 'Leave her alone! Fight me!'. And I knew something was awfully wrong and I took off in the direction I had last seen the others. I arrived to see... Janet, the pixie, in the rubble trying to catch her breath. Ultron was standing on top of the pile. He was fighting Steve. The shield barely scratched him since he had previously covered his whole body in vibranium. Ultron caught it with a beam of energy and he... he grabbed Steve."

Tony looked down and rubbed his temple with his thumbs: "I tried to get to them, but there were so many robots in my way - there was no chance for me... He was choking Steve and in the most malicious voice he said... he said 'Look, Avengers... you better run! I can erase your leader from existence in just one second.' Steve was trying to fight back. He was gasping for air. Ultron killed him..." Tony bit his bottom lip until it started bleeding. His voice came out louder than before: "He killed him and I couldn't do a damn thing! I froze... I heard Natasha's screams and I was just standing there... my armor protected me from the robots."

Tony took a deep breath an paused again. James kept sitting in silence. Horror was getting visible in his eyes, but he needed to know, he couldn't tell Tony to stop because that was the one thing he needed to know to feel complete somehow.

Tony managed to pull himself together and looked at James again: "The next thing I know is... I started shooting at Ultron's minions again and slowly I was getting closer to him. Your mother was... she was off guard. She knelt on the floor next to... next to your father. Ultron was standing over her and she was crying... she suddenly turned to me and I could see in her eyes that she knew she was going to die now. She said and I could hear it crystal clear: "Tony, run and get them. Go and take care of James for me." Ultron was just grinning and he shot her with a beam of energy and Natasha... Natasha fell to the ground... not moving... not... not breathing."

James couldn't meet Tony's eye. He looked down and tears started running down his cheeks. He didn't want Tony to see, but he couldn't hide it. Tony felt bad for the kid, the young man since it was somehow his fault and he stood up from the chair. He rose from the chair and crouched down: "Do you want me to continue or is it enough for now?"

James quickly covered his eyes and brushed the tears away: "I... Thank you, Tony. Now I at least know. But... can we please continue on a different day?"

Tony nodded: "Of course."

James now looked at his mentor again: "Can I ask you a question?"

A little bit surprised Tony nodded once again: "Yes... what is it?"

Hesitantly James started talking again: "If they all died and you left... what is going on in the real world now? Since this place is not real..."

Tony opened his mouth to answer but closed it again. He overthought his answer again and then eventually spoke up: "Ultron is now ruling over the world. There are only a few places where he isn't controlling everything."

James shook his head: "But why do we keep sitting around here then? We need to help the people!"

Tony smiled a sad smile: "We can't... you need much more training before you can face Ultron... all of you."

Sighing James stood up: "That is kind of unfair to the people..."

Standing up again too Tony answered: "You are just like your father, James... every time I look into your eyes I feel like Steve is looking at me. And I remember that Natasha told me to protect you. If we go now, we will fail. If we go, you and your siblings will die and I can't let that happen."

Carefully James nodded: "I see... I'm sorry, Tony."

Tony put a hand on his shoulder: "Don't be... it's fair to ask questions. But James... when you return to your bungalow tonight and you meet the others tomorrow, don't tell them about it. Torunn's father is still out there, but he is king of another realm, he is not responsible, but she might start thinking that if you tell her... and Azari and Pym are just kids, especially Pym. They are too young."

James nodded slightly: "Yeah... right... I promise, but someday you will talk to them about it too, right?"

Tony looked at James intently: "Yes... I will do that, but I have to wait for the right moment."

James nodded once again: "Thank you again, Tony... Good night then."

Tony hugged the young man briefly before stepping back: "Good night, James. You can come and talk to me anytime if you need to."

He ran his fingers through his red hair before turning and starting to walk away: "I'll do that..."


	20. Just kids

**Hello! I am deeply sorry for not completing the challenge. I fell ill on October 19th and the following three days I wasn't able to really eat or anything because the four hours a day I didn't sleep I spent vomiting my soul out of my body... then I was getting better over the following week and then I thought about continuing on the 27th when a friend of my brother died in a car crash. It was really sad and my brother was devastated... the funeral shook me. I will never in my life forget the look on the mother's face when she desperately held onto the coffin of her 17-year-old kid. I couldn't find the courage to write the last days of October.**

 **Now it's been two weeks and I am back at university. I will continue the project during November. There will still be dates written, although they are of course incorrect. This one brings me back to October 10th in a way. Like Philipp all the children killed in catastrophies will never be forgotten and this one is about exactly those.**

 **October 20th - Just kids**

 **(rated K+, Steve and Wanda friendship, after Civil War)**

It was dark outside that night in Wakanda - it was already 10.30 PM after all. Wanda was standing by the huge glass window on the third floor of the building where everyone had a small apartment. Steve hadn't joined them for dinner today. He had excused himself in the afternoon and hadn't been around since then. She was a little worried and wondered whether to knock on his door or let it be while she watched the leaves of the trees swing in the wind slightly.

Eventually she turned and started walking towards the doors. Hesitantly she passed her own and Sam's and stopped in front of Steve's. She rose her hand slightly to knock, but paused again. What if Steve was just tired? It had been months now since Bucky had been put to sleep again, but it obviously still bothered him. What if he needed to be on his own to think about it? He would be too polite to send her away when she knocked on his door. Wanda sighed and was about to turn away again when the door opened with a soft klicking-sound.

Steve was standing in front of her and put on a soft smile: "Hey, Wanda... I heard someone outside. Are you okay?"

Wanda stared at him paralyzed and immediately put her hand down when she realized she was still holding it up: "I... I just wanted to go to bed and ask you if you needed anything."

Steve looked her up and down: "Oh... that's nice, but no... I have everything here."

Hesitantly Wanda was shaking her head: "Ahmm... I mean, I also wanted to see if you are alright. You seemed so distant lately."

Steve eyed the floor briefly: "Yes... I would be a liar if I told you everything was fine, but don't worry. It's just everything that's going on at the moment."

Nodding Wanda looked at him: "Of course... I didn't mean to bother you..."

Steve cut her off: "No! You are not. To be honest... I had a talk with T'Challa about two months ago... he told me what Zemo told him in front of that bunker in Siberia."

Wanda didn't want to interrupt him and waited for him to continue. He sighed and stepped aside: "Come in if you want to hear about it..."

Thinking about declining his offer Wanda opened her mouth to speak but she wanted to help him with his worries so she just walked through the door and past him. Steve closed the door again and led her into the small living room. They sat down on the couch. Wanda could see photos and interview-copies scattered all over the table. She wondered what this all was about, but Steve would probably tell her in the following minutes.

Steve eyed the documents before returning his attention to Wanda. He leaned forward a little before he started talking in a low voice: "Zemo lost everyone in Sokovia. His family stayed outside of the city, but the vibranium core... it destroyed everything. So many people died that day. I know, it would have been much more if we didn't manage to evacuate big parts of the city, but it really bothers me. And it really bothered Tony... that's how all of that got started after all."

He paused and shifted slightly: "Zemo had a little son... he was just a kid. And Charlie Spencer - he was so young too. They had their lives ahead of them, you know?"

His expression had changed. Steve's eyes radiated a mix of desperation, pain and... guilt. Wanda carefully placed one of her hands on his: "Steve... It's not your fault. Sokovia is not the place to be left alone. There has always been war and terror and now there has been this. Something would have happened, just on a different day and maybe then... there would have been no one to help and many more people would have died."

Steve looked at her for a while before nodding: "Maybe so... but it still doesn't change the things that happened. Do you see all the pictures on the table? It's all the kids..."

Wanda was looking away and slowly picked up some of the small pictures on the table. She looked at them intently before putting them down again: "I'd say, don't think about it so much, but that would be wrong. If it bothers you that much, you should look at those every now and then and think about it. However, don't think how this is our fault or something. Instead think about how those children were great people and they were a gift for as long as they were here. Their parents are sad of course, but they should also be greatful that they had the opportunity to have them."

Steve started to smile a little when she talked: "You're right... Thanks for coming here, Wanda."

Wanda smiled at him too: "I will always be there if you need me."


	21. Words

**This is a companion piece to October 6th. It plays in the same Soulmate AU!**

 **October 21st: Words**

 **(Rated K+, Lila-Barton-centric)**

It was 9 AM on a Saturday and Lila was staring at the ceiling. She had been awake for two hours already, but she didn't want to start that day. She had been a little afraid of it for weeks and now it had arrived - her 13th birthday. A few minutes later Laura entered the room and walked over to her daughter's bed. She sat down and kissed her on the cheek: "Good morning, honey... Happy Birthday! I made breakfast if you want some."

Lila looked at her mom shyly: "I... Actually I don't feel like leaving my room at all today."

Laura put on a concerned expression: "Why? Do you feel sick?"

Shaking her head slightly Lila looked down on the linen: "No... I am just so nervous. I don't know what's going to happen today... what if I have words and they are horrible?"

Smiling again Laura took Lila's hand: "That's not at all bad... I know how scary this day is for you. I was so nervous on my 13th birthday. I had unrealistic expectations, I guess. If I had the words I wanted them to be romantic and sweet and I was really confused when they appeared in the afternoon. I was thinking my soulmate was a strange kind of person and that turned out to be right." She chuckled and Lila started to smile before Laura continued: "See... when I met your father it all made sense. I am sure I have his words and now the only thing I am worried about is the moment he will say them."

Lila nodded slightly: "So... you are saying, there is nothing to worry about?"

Laura rose from the bed: "Exactly... I'll meet you in the kitchen. Your grandparents will also arrive soon, so get ready, okay?"

With a sigh Lila got up and nodded. She got ready for the day and had breakfast with her family. The thought of the words didn't go away, however. While eating another bite of her pancakes she looked over at her brother Cooper who was older than her. On his 13th birthday he didn't seem to care about the whole soulmate-thing at all. He just treated it like a regular day. In the end he turned out to have no words, but he just shrugged when she asked how he felt about it.

When she had finished Lila excused herself to her room again. She closed the door and walked over to the window. She opened it and listened to the singing of the birds. Maybe her mother was right and the words were nothing to be scared of. Then she thought of the conversation she had overheard one night about a year ago. She had wanted to get some water at night when she heard her parents talking about her dad's friends in the living room.

Her aunt Natasha had the strangest words she could think of - even stranger than her mother's. Lila knew them because she had seen them whenever Natasha had been wearing short sleeves. Lila thought it must be hard for her auntie to deal with those words. She herself wouldn't like something like that. If you were the one with the words you already had to worry about the years you would be alone after your soulmate died, but in Nat's case she also had to worry about what the words refer to - what kind of tragedy happens that day. Lila also overheard how her aunt was suspicious of Steve being her soulmate because he had no words.

Lila kind of liked the situation of Tony Stark and his girlfriend best. While Tony had no words Pepper had a simple 'Meet me there' on her left wrist. It was nice to think of a peaceful and hopeful conversation before the significant other would pass. On the other hand, those words were also a problem. Words like Pepper's and 'I love you' and 'Don't cry' were romantic and loving, but in addition something everyone could tell you. They are not specific. You wouldn't recognize them as special to a person. Lila kind of liked how her mother was so sure her father was her soulmate. The words on her wrist were unique and fit Clint's humor perfectly.

Lila sighed. Maybe she would be happier with no words like Cooper. But that also wasn't the answer to everything, she thought. That way she wouldn't even be able to guess. She had talked to her dad about having no words before. He claimed, he didn't ever mind to have no words. Most of his life he had had bigger problems than meeting his soulmate and he had always assumed to die young. He then chuckled and added: "For the things I have done so far, it's a freaking miracle I lived to have you kids..."

Wanda had no words too. She had talked to Clint about it before. Her twin-brother hadn't had words as well. They were okay with it. They had been waiting the whole day, staring at each other's arms, but nothing had changed. Wanda seemed to be a little bothered by her lack of words. She had told Lila's dad that she would have loved to have something to look at when times were dark to find new hope. There had been nothing to hold onto - and after her brother's death she felt even lonelier.

The thing that scared Lila a lot was a situation that very few people experienced - more than one set of words. No one was sure what it meant. Many believed it to be a gift - that you had more than one soulmate. Others saw it as a curse more so. What if both of those soulmates had only that person as soulmate. It was not guaranteed you'd meet your soulmate, but what if the person met both and had to decide. That situation appeared to be Sam's. He didn't speak about that topic with anyone, but everyone understood. On his carpus there was one single word 'NO!'. As if that wasn't bad enough there was another set of words located in the middle of his forearm: 'I'm sorry.' Lila thought that through and it shook her whole body. She thought the words should bring comfort and hope to the people, but that was only terror.

Her parents also talked about the Winter Soldier and debated over rather or not he had words. Her dad didn't dare ask Steve about it because he thought it to be disrespectful. They also discussed if he could remember if he had had any words before his whole left arm had been cut off. Lila felt bad for that person too, even though she didn't know much about him.

Lila had also overheard a conversation of her mother and a friend of hers on the phone. Apparently the words of that woman had started to fade and what was left were only grey letters instead of the pitch black ones a person usually had - like a washed out piece of clothing. Lila had done some research following that and she had found out that people with washed out words would never meet their soulmate. Apparently life could take many different paths. There was one path intended by destiny where you would meet your soulmate eventually. But if something went wrong that path would be out of reach and the words were no longer true - they would never be said. The moment they started to fade was the moment a choice closed that path. Lila wondered if that was even worse than to have terrible words or two sets of words.

The girl supported herself on the windowsill. People like Thor and Vision had no words, but that didn't mean they were to die first. Vision kind of wasn't a real person, he was an entity for sure, but his brain was a stone... kind of. He wasn't human. Thor claimed that Asgardians didn't have words. The system only worked for Midgardians, so he didn't really think about it. Bruce had words - pretty ordinary one, namely 'Good night'. When he was the Hulk, however, they weren't visible. He had done many tests himself, but he couldn't find an explanation to that.

Lila took a deep breath and closed the window again. She stared at her left wrist for a few seconds before shaking her head and dropping onto the bed like a stone. It was ridiculous how much she thought about it, she knew that. She also knew that she wouldn't stop thinking about it. She would have to wait for her birthday to pass, but then... she had a whole different problem to think about.


	22. You both deserve a win

**This can be seen as a missing scene in Age of Ultron. It happens at the party.**

 **October 22nd: You both deserve a win**

 **(Rated K, Brutasha; Romanogers)**

"But never say never...", Natasha purred while locking eyes with Bruce who was standing on the other side of the bar-counter. She softly picked up her glass and walked away. Bruce was following her with his eyes, passion and longing clearly visible. Steve's voice took him back to reality: "It's nice..."

Stuttering he replied: "Wha... what... what is?"

Steve leaned on the counter: "You and Romanoff."

Immediately Bruce responded: "No... no, it is... we haven't... that wasn't."

With a soft chuckle Steve answered: "It's okay... nobody's breaking any laws. It's just she's not the most open person in the world... but with you she seems very relaxed."

Bruce had a smile on his face while talking now too: "No... Natasha, she just likes to flirt."

"I've seen her flirt... up close. It's not that. Look... as maybe the world's leading authority of waiting too long - don't. You both deserve a win", Steve tried to keep the smile on his lips while encouraging Bruce to keep things going with Nat. He looked down and nodded slightly before walking back towards the main area of the loft. He didn't hear Bruce calling after him 'What do you mean up close?'.

Steve turned right before he stepped down the stairs to all the people attending the party. He slowly walked a few meters before stopping and supporting himself against the glass-handrail. While talking a shaky breath he looked down at the people chatting and drinking in the space below him. He ran his fingers through his hair and turned around in an attempt to join the party again, but he was met with Clint standing in front of him, his arms akimbo.

Steve attempted a smile which ended up being more of a surprised frown: "Hey Clint..."

Clint eyed the other man: "Hey... what are you doing up here alone?"

Steve looked down at the people briefly before returning to Clint: "I wanted to grab a beer from the bar up here... it's not so crowded."

Clint rolled his eyes: "Come on, Steve... I was up here to answer the phone and after the call I walked over to the stairs. I arrived just in time to see your little chitty-chat with Banner."

Steve sighed and shook his head: "I... I really wanted to grab a beer, but then I saw them. Natasha was standing behind the counter and Bruce was joining her. They talked and her eyes... lit up when she spoke to him. She smiled at him and flirted a lot, but not in a teasing way, but in a rather loving way."

Clint nodded and looked down: "And you thought it was a good thing?"

Steve shrugged: "Yes... I want all of my friends to be happy."

Sighing Clint looked up again: "Of course... but you should be happy too, you know."

Steve frowned: "What do you mean? I'm just fine."

Rolling his eyes once again Clint took the beer from Steve and took a swig before returning it: "No! I'm not an idiot... Tony and Bruce are too focused on themselves to get it and Thor doesn't really pay attention to anything... but I can see the way you glance at Natasha, the looks you give her when she doesn't realize. Do you really mean what you told Bruce?"

Steve shook his head and turned to watch the people again. He spotted Natasha sitting on a couch chatting with Maria: "That's ridiculous, Barton... Nat is just a friend. And she seems to be in love with Bruce, that's great for them."

Clint buried his face in his hands for a moment: "God... This makes me so angry! You deserve a win, too, you know. It's not just others."

Steve didn't turn to face the other man while talking: "Natasha is clearly not interested in... something with me, okay?"

Clint walked over to the handrail and stopped next to Steve: "Maybe she has given up on that... but she clearly wanted to be with you before..."

Confused Steve now turned his head in Clint's direction: "How do you know?"

Clint started chewing on his bottom lip: "Well... Nat called me a year ago, when DC happened. She was devastated and I'm sure she was about to cry. I could hear that in her voice. She told me what had happened, but she didn't make any sense most of the time since she confused the chronology of things a lot. I could however understand that you had been fighting the Winter Soldier on one of the Carriers and then everything went down. They had been looking for you for two hours already when she called. She told me, sorry for the words she used 'Screw you, Barton and that you live out in the sticks! Move your fucking ass to DC now and help me!'."

Steve blinked a few times: "Really?"

Clint grinned: "Yes... I thought she would have been coming to kill me if you hadn't shown up... She cares for you a lot, Cap. But I guess she didn't know how to deal with it and moved to something... simpler."

Steve looked back down at Natasha who was chuckling about something the other woman had said: "Probably it's for the better... She's better off with Bruce. They talked a lot lately and they seem to harmonize. It's too late for her and me..."

Clint facepalmed: "Bullshit!" He paused to let Steve complain, but he stayed silent: "Steve... She wanted you, Bruce is just her replacement. It's like... planning to go on vacation in the Carribbean, but you don't have the money and it would take effort so you settle with going to Philadelphia for the weekend."

Steve smiled and turned to Clint again: "Do you just randomly think of something like that or where does it come from?"

Clint shrugged and grinned again: "I think of useless stuff like that all the time... that's my curse."

Shaking his head Steve answered: "At least you can cheer people up easily... but Clint, don't tell Nat anything, don't talk to her about it. It's good the way it is. Understood?"

Clint frowned: "It's not... for you it's not and she has to settle with 'second best'."

Steve took a deep breath: "No. We really don't need drama at the moment. I will deal with this when the scepter is back in Asgard or elsewhere safe and things get easier again."

Clint muttered: "Fine... fine. But don't ignore it until it is too late!" The archer didn't wait for an answer and stole Steve's beer away before walking down the stairs near them.

Steve sighed and watched him go before walking over to the bar to get another bottle of beer. Maybe Clint was right after all, maybe Nat did like him, but their relationship was complicated enough. They both didn't really know what kind of friends they were and they probably weren't ready to find out. He would wait until things went back to normal and then... probably then he'd talk to her.


	23. The darkest shadows

**This is based on the idea of Wanda's powers from October 10th!**

 **October 23rd: The darkest shadows**

 **(Rated K+, Wanda centric)**

New York was a big city. It was full of people and cars and minds and cruelty. Yes, the New Avengers Facility wasn't located inside the city, but although it seemed quiet, it wasn't good enough for Wanda to relax. It was the people living there, the team. She had been living there for almost six months now - it had been over six months since her twin had died and it still hurt. She had learned to control her powers a lot better, but she was still sensitive when it came to the feelings and thoughts of others. She couldn't simply stop herself from reading their minds or sensing their inner struggle. She had tried, but it kept her awake all night sometimes.

Some nights it was Sam in the room directly one story lower than hers dreaming about the war, dreaming about his best friend Riley and his other buddies, about bombs and death. Sam hand to experience the time he had been injured during a mission. Riley had noticed it immediately and urged him to fly into the nearby forest where he would be safe for a few hours. He didn't. Blood was covering his whole stomach, but only when the last enemy was down Riley and him landed between the trees. The pain Sam was experiencing was intense during that dream, not comparable to the dream where he had to watch his partner die all over and over again. She knew when he woke up screaming, she knew when he paced around the building restlessly after those nightmares. She never went to check on him. Sometimes she knew Steve heard his friend and they talked for hours.

Rhodes wasn't there most nights, but when he was he most of the time had nice thoughts. He was a distraction for Wanda so she was a little sad he spent his nights in the city with his girlfriend, who was the center of those positive and wonderful feelings Rhodey spread. Wanda loved his presence because when he was around she managed to focus on him and ignore the others a lot better. She loved the intense joy in every cell of the man's body when he thought about her soft lips and wavey hair, her sparkly grey eyes and the little sprinkles on top of her nose. She could almost smell the sweet cherries and delicate roses of her perfume when Rhodey pictued it. Wanda's eyes lit up when he thought about the things they had experienced - their last holiday in Florida.

When Rhodey wasn't around Wanda sometimes focused on Vision, but that didn't work out as well as with Rhodey. Vision's 'mind' was far more complicated than anyone's because the entity they called an Infinity Stone was nothing known on this world. Therefore Visions mind was always dealing with the complexity of scientific problems and other kinds of things Wanda didn't understand and honestly didn't want to understand. It was really hard for her to focus on something so irrelevant for her.

The worst for Wanda however were the two people left in the Facilitly - the two leader of the New Avengers.

Natasha's thoughts and dreams were not the brightest place as well. They circled around the vision Wanda had seen in Natasha's head in South Africa, the place she called the 'Red Room'. Parts of the nightmares painfully reminded Wanda of her own childhood in the orphanage. She could almost feel Natasha's pain when the other woman dreamed about the supervisors beating the little girls up badly, the starvation when they had not obeyed, the cold winters and the many tears shed in lonely nights. Natasha's childhood, however, was clearly worse. There were dreams about punishments so horrible that some girls died, about fights between the little girls where only the stronger ones made it out alive - They were forced to kill each other. To Wanda it was a miracle that Nat was still able to feel - that she was still able to live her life and to joke around. Wanda knew Nat was not just acting - she was really able to feel joy and love and affection.

Wanda didn't know if Nat was the worst of them all or if Steve was. She only knew one thing - Steve was different. She would have thought that his dreams would be just like Sam's, that they would be about the war (although it was a different one). That was not the case, however, only a few were about that. If they were about that time it was about Bucky a lot. The other dreams woke him up a lot and continued to haunt his conscious thoughts as well. At first Wanda hadn't even realized what they were about, she had only known that for him they were more painful and terrifying than anything else. They were a mess of dark colors. There was light blue and white over and over and over until it faded into darker shades into red into black again. A shiver and cold sweat woke Steve from those nightmares after a few minutes everytime. Over the months Wanda realized what he was seeing and it curdled her blood. It was the ice, it were the moments before Steve was forced to sleep for 70 years. It were the long minutes on the brink of death. When Steve was having those dreams he was like a different person to Wanda. He was giving up, he was almost longing for death to come in that freezing hellhole. He was trying to feel nothing, but the pain of the life he wasn't going to live was dragging him down. The loss of everything that was to come when he was only in his mid-twenties was overwhelming and drowned out every inch of joy that he had ever experienced. She now understood why it was so hard for him to be truly happy. Only Nat seemed to be able to make him laugh - on the inside as well.

Wanda sometimes couldn't handle her team. She cared for them and that's what bothered her. She felt helpless. She knew about their pain, but she didn't do a dang thing about it. She didn't know how to address it. It for sure would be wrong to tell them that she knew everything, so she preferred keeping her mouth shut until she found a way... she would find one. She needed to. She stared at her phone sometimes in order to call someone to talk about it, but she didn't want to bother anyone. She had very few friends in Sokovia and very few friends in the city of New York, whome she didn't know well enough yet. She wanted to call Clint before, but she knew he had to mind his own business. So she kept it all to herself - she had to.


	24. Secrets

**This is a continuation of yesterday's One-Shot. I really enjoy writing Wanda lately xD I was wondering about this ever since Age of Ultron hit theatres and now I am dealing with the one missing vision. It came out a little rushed and I'm dealing with migraines a lot lately, so please forgive me.**

 **October 24th: Secrets**

 **(Rated K+, Wanda and Clint friendship)**

The cup of tea on the kitchen table in front of her slowly cooled down, but Wanda wasn't paying it much attention. She smiled as she watched little Nathaniel play with his toys next to the couch. The baby was so pure and wonderful to be around. His mind was not yet worried about anything. Wanda loved to be around the Barton children in general. Cooper was about ten and therefore still too innocent to spread a negative attitude. Laura was a wonderful loving mother and her thoughts were mostly about her children. She was worried about her husband and how things would go in general sometimes, but that wasn't something Wanda couldn't deal with. When Clint was with his family he had positive thoughts and feelings too. He was a different Clint in his home than the one she had met back in South Africa. The Clint who lived with his family thought about parent-teacher-days and homework, about doing the shopping and if it was time to feed the baby already. This Clint didn't think about his team-mates and if he would live to see the light of another day.

Wanda had eventually called Clint while staying with the team, but instead of telling him about what the others were going through she told him that she hadn't seen him for a long time and if she could visit for a few days. She had needed that change of environment. She knew she was being selfish, but she couldn't deal with the atmosphere in the Facility any longer - she needed a break. Clint had been happy she had missed him and invited her to stay a week which she gladly accepted. Now it was her second day in the middle of nowhere and it was so relaxing.

Laura entered the kitchen and smiled at Wanda: „Hey Wanda... is everything fine? Do you need anything?"

Wanda smiled too and shook her head no: „Thank you, Laura... I am alright."

Nodding lightly Laura passed the other woman and knelt down to Nathaniel: „Hey little man... it's time for bed. It's eight already."

Nathaniel dropped the Poo-Bear-plushee he had been holding and lifted his arms up to his mother. Laura grinned and picked him up: „You are really tired, I see..." She continued talking to the young boy while carrying him out of the room and up the stairs. Wanda took a sip of her tea and watched them leave. Soon after that Clint entered the kitchen area and sat down next to her. She could sense he was restless and something was bothering him. Wanda hesitated, but she decided to bring it up eventually: „Are you okay? You seem so tense..."

Clint smiled a small smile: „I knew you would be able to tell... you are looking better yourself today. Did you catch some sleep?"

Wanda gasped: „How could you tell? Did I look so bad when I arrived?"

Clint shook his head: „No... but I have children. I know when something is not as it's supposed to be and I knew when you called me."

Trying to avoid the subject to not bother him in addition she sighed: „It's nothing... I am more worried about you. Do you want to talk?"

Rolling his eyes Clint answered: „I want you to tell me first. Then I can tell you. It's kind of a weird thing to ask someone so I don't want to go like a bull at the gate."

Wanda couldn't read his mind clearly so she decided to take the deal: „Fine... it's just... I love the others and we are a great team, but they are really complicated. They act like everything is alright, but at night... the nightmares come. And I know because my powers make me see what they see... feel what they feel. I can't sleep. I can't talk to them because I feel like I enter their private space without permission and they could be angry."

Clint looked at her and listened closely. When she finished he quietly spoke up again: „Don't think that way. You are a team, and in a team you can talk about everything, even if it's making you uncomfortable. This thing is dragging you down a lot and that's terrible. Maybe you can tell Steve. He will find a way to help you for sure. He would never be bothered by that."

Wanda started chewing on her bottom lip: „Are you sure? He deals with a lot of things - I know. He doesn't need even more stuff to think about."

Clint sighed: „Wanda... everyone has their demons, but your situation is really affecting your health too. What if there is an incident and the Avengers have to help and you can't concentrate because you are tired? Please talk to one of the others. They will understand."

Wanda looked down and nodded: „You're right... I hope there will be a moment for that."

Clint put a hand on the woman's shoulder: „Just pull through with it. It will be okay."

Wanda smiled before becoming more serious again: „What did you want to ask me about?"

Clint fidgeted with his fingers: „Well... don't think I'm all too crazy or something... but I kind of need to know something. Natasha has been calling a lot ever since we met in South Africa. She needed someone to talk about the things she had seen that day. The horrible memories... She said Steve was not talking about his experience so she wouldn't share hers with him. Probably he was better off dealing with it on his own. I wonder... how did you do that and what would you have done to me?"

Hesitantly Wanda wrapped her hands around the teacup: „I... I am not the one choosing. Those things are centered around ones greatest fears. Sometimes it is things from a person's past... like Natasha's vision. Sometimes it wants to make you feel miserable for things you weren't able to experience in your past. It shows you a past that would have been better probably - like Steve's vision. Often it's a possible future - something that could happen. It's something you fear might happen and if you do something wrong, it also will happen. Tony and Thor had those... sometimes it's a mix."

Clint nodded and hesitated before answering: „So... you are not making it... You can't tell me what I would have seen if you got to me?"

Wanda shook her head lightly and looked down at the tea: „No. Sorry, Clint."

Turning a little to hear if Laura had already finished beadtime-routine with the kids Clint stayed silent. After a few moments he turned to Wanda again: „Can... you show me?"

Wanda blinked a few times and sighed: „Why would you want that? It's cruel..."

Clint sighed too and looked down: „It haunts me... I keep thinking about it and I want to make my peace with it."

Wanda bit her lip and looked at him again: „Are you sure?"

Clint nodded and kept silent. Wanda hesitated and eyed the door again before the red glow around her fingertips appeared. She rose her hands up and let the red energy cloud the archer's head.

He closed his eyes for a moment and found that the kitchen was gone when he opened them again. He looked around him and gasped. In the distance he could hear circus music and the big top was being packed up again. He wasn't there, however, but now he could hear footsteps on their way towards him. This was familiar, he had been here before.

Suddenly a big man with a sword accompanied by a younger one approached an out of an instinct he grabbed an arrow and aimed at them: „Don't come any closer!" He was startled by his own voice. He sounded much younger.

The man laughed and aimed the sword at him: „You're good kid, but never challenge your master when you can't win."

He knew what that was now. It was the day he was supposed to die. He was 15 years old and he wanted to flee the circus, but Barney wouldn't let that happen because without his brother they wouldn't let him stay either.

Clint saw how his hand was shaking, but he shot nevertheless. The older man was surprised by his action and managed to dodge the arrow last minute. He then marched towards Clint aggressively: „Don't you dare! I'm gonna kill you, you worthless sucker!" He flung the sword at him, but Clint ducked and started running, but the other man caught up with him on the open field near a road. He grabbed Clint by the arm. Helplessly the Clint wriggled and tried to break free, but the angry Swordsman held him firmly and rammed the sword through his stomach. Barney caught up with them eventually and started swearing like a mad sailor when he saw the damage was done. The older man dropped Clint and started cleaning the blade.

Clint felt the need to scream and cry, but he knew the other man would hit him again and kill him immediately if he did. Barney screamed at his partner in crime: „What the fuck?! I told you to scare him so he will not try to leave! He's the one keeping me here!" Barney tore at his hair before quickly kneeling down to check on his younger brother.

Clint knew what he had to do. He focused everything he had on not breathing and not moving. Barney luckily only watched the kid and briefly touched his chest above the wound before standing up: „He's barely alive! We need to get help!"

The Swordsman now aimed the weapon at the older Barton: „No! Too much trouble... we just leave him here to die and if anybody finds him, we say there was a party and we don't know anything."

Barney argued with him a few more minutes before walking away in the direction they came from frustrated.

Clint now moved towards the road and stumbled every second step. The pain was intense and it was keeping him from thinking properly, but slowly the scenery vanished again. He thought he would be back, but he rather found himself in a field near the Barton farm. He was holding a crying Nathaniel in his arms. Confused he moved closer to where the house was and was greeted by a horrible scene. The house was on fire - and the worst thing: Laura and the other kids were nowhere to be seen. Clint clutched Nathaniel tighter and shook his head in disbelieve. He started panicing and walked around the property to search for anything... anyone. It was no use, but eventually Nate stopped crying. The young boy started calling for his mommy over and over again.

After what felt like an eternity Clint's vision faded to black and he was back, sitting at the table next to Wanda.

Wanda looked down and held onto her teacup again: „I... I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have..."

Clint shook his head and pulled the young woman into a hug: „It's okay, Wanda... I am the one who has to apologize."

Wanda accepted the hug gladly and spoke in a low voice: „Clint... You weren't meant to see those things... and I wasn't too. I should have said no."

Clint slowly let go and met her eyes with his: „Now I finally know... it's going to bother me a little, but not knowing bothered me even more. Don't feel bad, okay?"

Looking away Wanda nodded.

Clint stood up and took her teacup with its long cold contents with him: „I'm making hot chocolate... do you want that too?"

Wanda tried a smile and looked up to the kitchen area: „Yes... that would be great."


End file.
